Longtime Givaudan chief executive officer Gilles Andrier is retiring, the company announced on Thursday.
Andrier, who has held the CEO role at the Swiss fragrance and flavors supplier for 20 years, will step down in March 2026. Christian Stammkoetter, currently president of food and beverage company Danone’s Asia, Middle East and Africa businesses, will succeed him in the role, effective March 1.
Prior to being named CEO of Givaudan in 2005, Andrier spent more than a decade at the company, beginning in 1993 as a fragrance division controller and assistant to then-CEO, Jean Amic, and working his way up to the company’s global head of fine fragrances post by 2003.
Under his helm, the company grew from 5,900 to 16,900 employees from 2004 to 2024, with sales nearly tripling from 2.7 billion to 7.4 billion Swiss francs during the period. The group, which is behind iconic scents such as Yves Saint Laurent’s Opium, Dior’s J’Adore and Carolina Herrera’s Good Girl, completed more than 20 acquisitions during his tenure, snapping up Italian makeup and skin care manufacturer B.kolor, Brazilian fragrance supplier Vollmens and other companies.
“It has been an immense privilege and source of joy to lead Givaudan for the last 20 years,” Andrier said in a statement. “As we set out our strategic roadmap for the next five years, it is the right moment to
announce the handover to Christian in early 2026, and I wish him every success for the future.”
Chairman of the board Calvin Grieder will also step down next March. He served on Givaudan’s board for 12 years, and Andrier will be proposed to succeed him in the chairman role at the company’s next annual general meeting on March 19.
“We are incredibly grateful to Gilles for the tremendous contribution he has made to Givaudan, and the
wider industry over the last 30 years,” Grieder said in a statement. “Through his visionary leadership, the company has consistently delivered industry-leading performance and created significant shareholder value.”
Stammkoetter said in a statement: “I am fully aligned to [the company’s] purpose and look forward to building on Gilles Andrier’s outstanding legacy, driving growth and innovation with our talented teams, customers and partners worldwide.”
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