Press releases

• Chairman-designate announced
• Former P&G executive to take lead role
• Margaret Versteden nominated as new board member

Lenzburg, November 12, 2018 – The Hero Group, which follows a mission to delight consumers by conserving the goodness of nature, today announces changes to its Board of Directors.

Dr Hasso Kaempfe, Chairman of the Board, will hand over the chair of the board in March 2019. He will stay on as a member of the board until the company’s General Assembly in 2020. The decision to step down comes as Dr Kaempfe will reach the age limit of 70 as per the provisions of the incorporated status of the Hero Group.

Dr Kaempfe has been a member of the Board of Directors for Hero since the beginning of 2012 and Chairman since January 2013, succeeding main shareholder Dr Arend Oetker. Dr Kaempfe also took over the chairmanship of the Hero Group Human Resources Committee and is a member of the Group’s Finance and Audit Committee.

He steps down a year before the end of his tenure so as to ensure an orderly handover to his designated successor as Chairman of the Board, Giovanni Ciserani, who joined the Hero board in March 2017.

Verona-born Ciserani will soon retire from the position of Group President, Global Fabric & Home Care, and Global Baby & Feminine Care with Procter & Gamble. He brings with him considerable experience and knowledge in the FMCG sector gained over 30 years with P&G.

Leopold Oetker, speaking on behalf of the Oetker family, the main shareholders of the Hero Group, said: “Dr Kaempfe has been a valuable contributor to our family and the Hero Group as chairman of the board for numerous years. We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to him and are pleased that he will remain on the Hero board for another year.”

In addition to the change at the helm of the board, the Hero Group also announces the proposal to nominate Margaret Versteden as new board member. This appointment is to be approved during the company’s General Assembly 2019 being held in March.

Versteden is CCO at bol.com, the leading online retail platform for the Benelux region, and is responsible for the commercial activities, website innovation, and data analytics. She brings to the company a wealth of experience in strategic consulting, eCommerce and digitalization.

Photo: Giovanni Ciserani (left), Margaret Versteden (center), and Dr Hasso Kaempfe (right)

About Hero Group
The Hero Group is an international food company focused on branded nutritional food products. The company was founded in 1886 in Lenzburg, Switzerland, where its headquarters are still located today. Hero's main core product categories of Baby & Toddler Food and Milks, Jams, and Healthy Snacks are complemented by its activities in the Decoration and Gluten-free product segments. The Group, which lives by its mission to Delight consumers by conserving the goodness of nature, boasts a global footprint and its portfolio consists of many well-known international and local brands. In 2017, the Group generated revenues of CHF 1.28 billion.

Media contact
Stephen Chetcuti
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