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Lindt & Sprüngli has removed CEO Adalbert Lechner and appointed former chief executive Dieter Weisskopf on an interim basis. The company is searching for a permanent successor, due to be named in the second quarter of 2027, after lowering its sales-growth outlook amid weaker demand and higher cocoa costs.
Lindt & Sprüngli has ousted CEO Adalbert Lechner and appointed former chief executive Dieter Weisskopf to lead the Swiss chocolate maker temporarily, as it seeks to restore growth after cutting its annual sales outlook. The company, which owns Ghirardelli and Lindt, said its board wants new leadership to help deliver more consistent growth across its global markets.
Weisskopf, who was vice-chairman of the board and led Lindt & Sprüngli as CEO until 2022, will take over on an interim basis. The company is seeking a permanent chief executive and expects to name a successor in the second quarter of 2027. It has not announced a departure date for Lechner in the supplied report.
The leadership change follows a sharp reduction in the company’s sales-growth forecast. Lindt & Sprüngli now expects organic sales growth of between unchanged and 2% for the year, compared with its original target of 6% to 8%. The company had already cut its outlook twice this year, according to Food Dive.
The company also changed leadership in Germany and Austria, markets where it has recently faced difficulties. Last month, it attributed its lower guidance to order volumes in Germany, Switzerland and Austria coming in below expectations. The report does not identify the new local leaders or provide further details about their roles.
A Growth Reset at Lindt
The CEO change puts leadership at the center of Lindt & Sprüngli’s response to slowing growth. Its revised forecast is well below the target announced at the start of the year, signaling that the company expects a tougher sales environment than it initially projected. Because Ghirardelli is among its brands, the parent company’s strategy and performance are relevant to the wider premium chocolate business, though the report does not describe a separate change to Ghirardelli’s operations.
The company is contending with two pressures cited in the report: consumers pulling back on spending and volatile cocoa prices raising costs. Those forces can squeeze a chocolate maker from both sides, making it harder to grow sales while protecting profitability. Weisskopf has said the company will invest in its brands while improving profitability, but the report does not specify the scale, timing or allocation of that investment.
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Why the Forecast Fell
Lindt & Sprüngli is headquartered in Switzerland and owns a portfolio that includes Lindt and Ghirardelli. Food Dive reports that the company has struggled in recent years as consumer spending has softened and cocoa prices have been volatile. The supplied account does not give specific figures for cocoa costs or sales by brand, so the size of those effects on Ghirardelli cannot be isolated.
The immediate warning came from weaker-than-expected order volumes in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Those shortfalls were cited last month as a reason for the lower annual outlook. The forecast shift—from 6% to 8% growth to a range of unchanged to 2%—sets the backdrop for the board’s decision to change the group’s leadership.
““return to consistent, strong growth and to capture opportunities in all its markets globally.””
— Lindt & Sprüngli board
Open Questions on the Turnaround
The company has not named the permanent CEO or explained what qualities it is seeking in that person. It expects to make the appointment in the second quarter of 2027, but the supplied report does not detail the search process or any interim leadership arrangements beyond Weisskopf’s appointment.
It is also unclear what specific steps Lindt & Sprüngli will take to lift demand, manage cocoa-price volatility or improve profitability. The report gives no separate sales outlook for Ghirardelli, and it does not quantify the impact of the leadership changes in Germany and Austria. The company’s full-year forecast remains the stated range of unchanged to 2% organic sales growth.
The Search Runs Into 2027
Weisskopf will lead the company while its board searches for a permanent CEO. Lindt & Sprüngli expects to announce that successor in the second quarter of 2027. Until then, investors and customers will be watching for further company updates on sales, brand spending and profitability, as well as whether order volumes improve in the markets identified as weak.
The immediate benchmark is the company’s revised annual outlook: organic sales growth ranging from unchanged to 2%. The supplied report does not state when the company will next update that forecast or whether it expects additional changes to its management team.
Key Questions
Who is replacing Adalbert Lechner?
Dieter Weisskopf, Lindt & Sprüngli’s former CEO and current vice-chairman of the board, has taken the top post on an interim basis.
When will Lindt name a permanent CEO?
The company expects to name a permanent successor in the second quarter of 2027.
Why did Lindt change its CEO?
The board said new leadership was needed to return the company to consistent growth and capture opportunities in global markets. The change comes after the company lowered its annual sales-growth forecast amid weaker order volumes, consumer spending pressure and volatile cocoa prices.
What is Lindt’s latest sales-growth forecast?
Lindt & Sprüngli expects organic sales growth to be unchanged to 2% for the year, down from its original target of 6% to 8%.
Does the announcement include a separate outlook for Ghirardelli?
No separate Ghirardelli forecast is included in the supplied report. It identifies Ghirardelli as one of Lindt & Sprüngli’s brands but does not give brand-level sales figures or describe specific changes to Ghirardelli’s operations.
Source: rss
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