Lillie Li Valeur appointed new Head of Arla Foods Germany

European dairy cooperative Arla Foods announced that Lillie Li Valeur has been appointed Managing Director for Arla Foods Germany starting on 1st May 2022.

Lillie Li Valeur

Lillie Li Valeur has been appointed Managing Director for Arla Foods Germany starting on 1st May 2022, the European dairy cooperative Arla Foods announced.

Commenting on the announcement, EVP and Executive Board Member Peter Giørtz-Carlsen said: “I am delighted that Lillie will re-join Arla Foods and take on this important role. With Patrik Hansson’s recent appointment as Chief Marketing Officer, we wanted his successor to continue the strong leadership of the growth journey of the German business. Lillie was the ideal fit for this. She has a deep understanding of the farmer owned cooperative and a strong track record of commercial success in complex growth markets. Lillie is also a strong relationship builder and has shown throughout her career that she puts partnerships that create long term value for the company at the heart of her agenda. This commitment is important in continuing to strengthen our position in Germany. I would like to thank Patrik again for his leadership of the German business and welcome Lillie, who I am confident will be a great successor.”

Lillie has a track record of leadership which builds commitment and delivers results inside and outside of Arla Foods. She joins the German business following two years as the CEO of the Denmark based international company, Good Food Group. Prior to this, in an 18-year career in Arla, Lillie was most recently Vice President of Arla’s Milk Based Beverages business unit, leading a team that consistently delivered double digit growth across European and international markets, spearheaded by our Starbucks range, which Lillie elevated into a long term strategic partnership. Lillie has also led Arla’s China business, during which she developed and implemented our game change plan for China through our strategic partnership with Mengniu. She then became Vice President for South East Asia, establishing the company’s Joint Venture in Bangladesh and a regional office in Kuala Lumpur.

Commenting on her appointment, Lillie Li Valeur said: “I am very pleased to be re-joining Arla Foods and to work again with the very passionate colleagues to create the future of dairy naturally, a vision that continues to inspire me. I am really excited about the new challenge to lead the profitable growth agenda in one of Arla’s biggest and most complex markets. I know we have a strong Arla team in Germany and believe working together with our farmer owners, we will be able to make a true difference. I am grateful to Arla for this opportunity and I look forward to stepping back into the Arla culture and working closely with colleagues, our German farmers and customers to deliver our long term vision for the German business.”

Lillie will start on the 1st May and over the coming weeks; she will transition to being based in Germany.