A pivotal appointment has been confirmed by global natural colours group, as it names Susanne Arfelt Rajamand as its new CEO, writes Neill Barston. 

The highly-experienced sector leader has previously held top roles Unilever, McCormick & Company, and Fonterra, as well as recently being chief exec of Royal Greenland. 

“On behalf of the Board, I am delighted to welcome Susanne as Oterra’s next CEO,” said Arnd Kaldowski, Chairman of the Board.

“Susanne brings more than 20 years of international leadership experience across the food, foodservice, and consumer goods industries, including senior roles at Unilever, McCormick & Company, and Fonterra, and most recently as Group CEO of Royal Greenland.

“Her commercial track record and experience leading international, growth-focused organizations make her the right leader to build on Oterra’s strong foundation and further accelerate our growth trajectory, capitalizing on our exciting U.S. market opportunities.

“Susanne and the team will be able to build on this year’s double-digit growth in the U.S., entering the next fiscal year with a sales pipeline that positions Oterra to double its core US business within the next two years.”

Commenting on her appointment, Susanne Arfelt Rajamand explained that she was excited and honored to be joining the business, and takes up the role in October. 

The Danish national holds an MSc in Business from Copenhagen Business School and an Executive MBA from INSEAD. She currently serves as a non-executive board member of Danish Crown and Protix.

She added: “Oterra has built a strong position as a global leader in natural food colors, with a talented team, a strong product portfolio and a very exciting growth opportunity ahead, particularly with the ongoing conversion of the U.S. market to natural food colors.

“I look forward to working closely with the leadership team, the Board of Directors and the wider organization to build on this strong foundation and shape Oterra’s next chapter of growth.”