New sustainability lead at dsm-firmenich

dsm-firmenich has appointed Katharina Stenholm as its chief sustainability officer.

She takes up that position from July 1, 2023, and is charged with consolidating the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategy for the company, one that builds on the strengths of both DSM and Firmenich's previous plans and actions.

Geraldine Matchett and Dimitri de Vreeze, co-CEOs of dsm-firmenich, said Stenholm is widely recognized as an exceptional leader and innovator in the field of ESG.

Under her leadership, the company said it intends to generate ambitious and measurable sustainability targets and plans to rapidly achieve them.

Stenholm joins dsm-firmenich from PepsiCo where she led the European sustainability function. Before that, she held various positions at Danone, including SVP Strategic Projects, MD of DanTrade, and Global CPO, with sustainability under her responsibility. She also held various positions at SABMiller, culminating in the role of global CPO, and was CEO for a food ingredients company in the Nordics with global sales.

“Over the years, Katharina has established herself as a recognized leader in change management. Her expertise lies in driving successful market entry, transformation, and operating model re-design programs. She possesses a comprehensive understanding of the entire food value chain, with a particular focus on sustainability and circular economy practices.”

She holds a PhD in biotechnology from Helsinki University of Technology in Finland.