Nivea-maker Beiersdorf has announced that its chief executive officer Stefan De Loecker (pictured) has decided to step down and will leave the company on 30 June 2021.
The company's supervisory board has appointed Vincent Warnery as its new chief executive effective 1 May 2021.
Warnery has been a member of Beiersdorf's executive board since February 2017.
He was previously responsible for the Pharmacy & Selective division, with the Eucerin, Hansaplast, and La Prairie brands and the North American business unit.
Sales Performance
The announcement comes as Beiersdorf announced a 6.3% increase in group sales in the first quarter, to €1.9 billion.
Its consumer business segment saw a 2.7% increase in sales, driven largely by its dermatological brands (+12.1%) and La Prairie (17.0%), while Nivea was up 0.5%.
'Beiersdorf thus recorded a solid start to the new fiscal year, despite the impacts of COVID-19 continuing to be felt in large parts of the world and the numerous restrictions brought by the pandemic,' the group said. In February, the group announced the launch of a new, personalised skincare brand.
Decisive And Lasting Contribution
Chairman of the supervisory board of Beiersdorf AG, Prof Dr Reinhard Pöllath, thanked De Loecker for his outstanding achievements saying that he made a decisive and lasting contribution to the company.
"With the C.A.R.E.+ strategy, De Loecker focused Beiersdorf on digitalisation, sustainability and internationalisation and strategically equipped the skincare company for the future. Beiersdorf will benefit considerably from this in the long term," Pöllath added.
De Loecker thanked all employees, customers, and partners for their cooperation and said his goal was to "strengthen Beiersdorf in an era of digital disruption and environmental challenges to keep the company on track for success in the long term".
He continued, "I am convinced that we have laid this foundation. I personally wish my successor as CEO, Vincent Warnery, all the best and every success on the journey ahead."
Consumer Health Background
Warnery has extensive experience in consumer health care and the cosmetic industry.
He began his marketing career in 1991 with Procter & Gamble and moved to L'Oréal in 1996.
He held various marketing positions as well as local and regional general management positions in Portugal, Germany, Latin America, Japan and France.
In 2011 he moved to Sanofi, where he developed and led the Global Consumer Health Care Division until 2017, before joining Beiersdorf.
Commenting on his new role, Vincent Warnery said, "Beiersdorf is an outstanding company with great potential and an exceptional team. I have worked closely with Stefan De Loecker on the C.A.R.E.+ strategy over the last few years.
"I am now looking forward to continuing this work together with the executive board and all employees to continue the company's success."
