Peter Giørtz-Carlsen will be the new Group CEO of DLG Group

Peter Giørtz-Carlsen comes with broad international experience, based on a long-standing career at Arla Foods. For the past six years, he has been the Vice CEO and member of the Executive Board. Over the years, he has played a key role in driving strategic development and execution, which has contributed significantly to Arla Foods' transformation into a leading dairy company that ensures value creation for farmers in the green transition.

Business transformation has been a consistent theme throughout Peter Giørtz-Carlsen's career, where he has successfully headed the development of Arla Foods' European business into becoming a strengthened entity, focusing on value creation and strong customer relations. He has also been the main architect behind several strategic partnerships and has collaborated with key external stakeholders to ensure effective framework conditions and commercial development.

"Throughout his career, Peter Giørtz-Carlsen has demonstrated a marked ability to deliver results. He has extensive competencies within business transformation, and at the same time he possesses a special blend of business acumen and strategic expertise. This makes him an ideal match for our group and the task ahead of us: ensuring long-term competitiveness and business development, as well as fulfilling our ambition to create value in the green transition for the benefit of our owners and customers," says Chairman of the Board Niels Dengsø Jensen, continuing:

"Peter is an engaging and value-driven leader who understands how to develop organisations across borders, and he fosters a culture of collaboration, diversity and innovation to ensure engagement and results. In addition, he has an in-depth knowledge of the agricultural sector and understands our roots as a cooperative. I am pleased to welcome Peter and look forward to our collaboration."

“Time to unleash the full potential”

"Over the years, I have followed the development of the DLG Group, an important and leading player in the European market with extraordinary strategic ambitions. In recent years, important steps have been taken to strengthen the business with a clear vision of creating value in sustainability. Now is the time to unleash the full potential. I look forward to doing this together with my new colleagues at DLG. At the heart of any success is a committed and inclusive organisation that not only creates the best results, but also builds a more competitive, prosperous and sustainable DLG in the long run," says Peter Giørtz-Carlsen.

In addition to his job at Arla Foods, he holds a number of external roles, including the Vice Chairman of the European Dairy Association, Vice Chairman of Toms Group, and member of a London-based CEO forum consisting of stakeholders across the UK food sector.

He lives close to the DLG headquarters, Denmark, with his wife and their two children.

Group COO to step down in 2025

Peter Giørtz-Carlsen takes over from Group CEO Kristian Hundebøll, who stepped down on 31 August. Group COO Jesper Pagh will continue as interim Group CEO until Peter Giørtz-Carlsen takes up his position

in January 2025. Jesper Pagh has decided to step down from his role as Group COO at the beginning of 2025 to continue his career elsewhere, however he will continue to represent DLG on a number of boards.

"For more than 20 years, Jesper has made a dedicated effort. He has contributed significantly to the development of DLG's business and partnerships in Denmark as well as internationally, and he is a very well-liked colleague. As interim CEO, Jesper has once again shown his great dedication to DLG by ensuring continuity in the management during this period. He deserves our sincere thanks, and I wish him all the best on his further journey," says Niels Dengsø Jensen.

Fact box: Peter Giørtz-Carlsen

- 1999: MSc in Economics and Business Administration, University of Aarhus

- 1999: Strategy consultant, Accenture

- 2002: Director of Business Development, Semco

- 2003: Vice President Corporate Strategy, Arla Foods

- 2008: Managing Director, Cocio Chocolate Milk A/S

- 2010: Vice CEO, Bestseller Fashion Group, Beijing, China

- 2011: Executive Vice President of Arla’s Danish Business

- 2014: Executive Vice President of Arla's UK business

- 2016: Executive Vice President and COO of Arla's activities in Europe

- 2019: Deputy CEO and member of Arla's Executive Board