Karolina G. Henriksen brings a wealth of experience in developing organisations and building strong customer relationships to her new role as Executive Vice President of Danish Crown Foods.
“It has been essential for us to find a strong leader for Danish Crown Foods who can take our business to the next level. Karolina has delivered impressive results in her previous roles, and she has broad leadership and change management experience. She is also a charismatic leader who approaches challenges with a positive and optimistic attitude, so I’m confident that she will strengthen our Food-business,” says Niels Ulrich Duedahl, Group CEO of Danish Crown.
Karolina G. Henriksen has had a long and impressive career at Orkla, lately in a role as CEO of Orkla Health Group, and earlier as CEO of Lilleborg. She returned to Orkla after having led the Gilde Brand as EVP of the farmer-owned Norwegian food group, Nortura.
With her new role in Danish Crown, she returns to the food sector, and in Danish Crown Foods she will be responsible for the full range of the business - from production to marketing and sales of brands such as Tulip, GØL, Mou, and Steff-Houlberg.
“I’m truly looking forward to taking up this role. Danish Crown is a dynamic, internationally oriented company, and I’m excited to contribute to the group's transformation. I’m confident that we can succeed if we work systematically and purposefully with a mindset of creating added value for our customers, consumers, and owners through a focus on quality and sustainability,” says Karolina G. Henriksen.
Danish Crown Foods manages the sales and production of fresh and processed products for retail and foodservice customers. The business unit has approximately 3,000 employees and generates around DKK 13 billion in revenue. With an efficient production as the foundation, the core task for Foods is to sell fresh and processed goods, develop Danish Crown’s brands, and generate profit for the group.
“We need to improve the profitability of Danish Crown Foods. Simply put, we’re not earning enough, when we look at the level of investment we’ve made in a large and complex production setup over the years. On the other hand, this also means there is untapped potential — and I strongly believe we can unlock that in the coming years with Karolina at the helm of Danish Crown Foods,” says Niels Duedahl.
“I’m looking forward to working in a farmer-owned company again. It’s a very direct form of ownership, and I see it as a major strength that our owners also deliver our most important raw materials. At the same time, I’m excited to be working in a Danish company again. When I was young, I worked for LEGO, and I really appreciate the Danish mentality, as the companies are very transparent and straightforward, and I’m looking forward to joining that again,” says Karolina G. Henriksen.
Karolina G. Henriksen will take up her role as Executive Vice President of Danish Crown Foods on January 1, 2026.
CV - Karolina G. Henriksen
2024-: Managing Director, Orkla Health
2021-2024: CEO, Orkla Health Group
2020-2021: Executive Vice President, Gilde at Nortura
2017-2020: CEO, Orkla Lilleborg
2014-2017: Commercial Director, Orkla Lilleborg
2006-2014: Various Sales and Marketing roles, Procter & Gamble Norway and Nordic
2004-2006: Category and Sales roles, Gillette Norway
2001-2004: Brand manager KiMs, Orkla Snacks
1999 – 2001: Marketing, LEGO Norway and Nordics