Chief executive at Coop Danmark, Jesper Lien, has resigned from the company with immediate effect, due to differing views at board level.
CFO Per Toelstang will assume the role of CEO until a replacement for Lien is found.
“I have been very happy with Jesper Lien's work and the results he created for Coop,” the company's board chairman, Lasse Bolander, told local newspaper. “The reason we are parting is because we have a different idea about how the company should be run.”
While there are few other details about Lien’s departure, his exodus follows a poor year for Coop in which its pre-tax profits dropped from 520 million kroner in 2011 to 228 million kroner in 2012.
Lien has been chief executive at the Danish multi-format retailer since 2009. He first joined the retailer some 19 years ago as an IT consultant.
“I have spent 19 informative and exciting years at Coop and of course it’s sad to say goodbye after all these years,” Lien said. “But we cannot agree on Coop’s strategy and focus, which is why I’ve decided to stop our co-operation.”
© 2013 - ESM: European Supermarket Magazine by Ellen Lunney
