Danish Crown Hires Duedahl From Norlys to Lead Pork Producer

By Celia Bergin

August 12, 2024 at 4:18AM EDT

The bacon production line at an abattoir of Danish Crown A/S, which exports 1,000 tons of bacon a week to the UK, in Blans, Denmark, on Tuesday, April 9, 2024. European Union food imports to the UK are about to get more expensive and complicated as the British government implements the Brexit deal. (Carsten Snejbjerg/Bloomberg)

(Bloomberg) -- Danish Crown A/S hired Niels Duedahl from energy firm Norlys AS to lead Europe’s biggest pork producer as it combats flagging demand.

Duedahl, who has helmed Norlys since 2009, will start on Sept. 2, according to a statement on Monday. He takes over from Jais Valeur, who announced in June he was stepping down after nine years in the role.

The change of leadership comes as the company faces headwinds from dwindling consumption and African swine fever. It is scaling down operations by closing slaughterhouses and selling subsidiaries.

Read: Europe’s Top Pork Producer Cuts 1,200 Jobs as Herd Shrinks

The company has also been selected as a case study for an anti-dumping probe by China in a tit-for-tat trade war with the European Union.

“Danish Crown is undergoing a thorough transformation, which I feel well equipped to lead,” said Duedahl.

He has also worked at firms including Nordea Bank Abp and Jyske Bank A/S.