After 33 years at Chr. Hansen, 14 years in executive management and eight years as CEO, Lars Frederiksen has decided to step down as CEO of Denmark-based Chr. Hansen Holding A/S as of March 31^st, 2013, in order to devote more time to non-executive board positions. The board of directors has appointed Cees de Jong as the new CEO of Chr. Hansen Holding A/S as of April 1^st, 2013.

Mr. Frederiksen joined Chr. Hansen in 1980 and was appointed member of the executive board of the former Chr. Hansen Holding A/S in 1999. He became CEO in April of 2005 in connection with PAI´s acquisition of the company.

Stepping in a CEO, is Mr. de Jong, previously served as COO at Crucell, and led the company to become a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company until 2011 when the company was acquired by Johnson & Johnson. Mr. de Jong also serves as a non-executive member of the Board of Protein Sciences Corporation.