Lindt & Sprüngli announced a CEO change on Monday, saying Group CEO Adalbert Lechner will leave and former CEO Dieter Weisskopf will run the Swiss chocolate maker on a temporary basis starting right away.
The board of directors has started a search for a permanent successor and expects to appoint one in the second quarter of 2027, the company said. Weisskopf, the board's vice chairman, will hold the interim role alongside his board duties until a new CEO is named.
The board decided that a change in day-to-day management was necessary to put Lindt back on a steady growth path, the company said in a statement.
"My focus in the coming months will be to return our European business to growth and to build on the strong performance in North America as well as in Asia-Pacific markets such as Australia, China and Japan," Weisskopf said in a statement. "My task is to hand over to the next CEO a company with renewed momentum."
Weisskopf led Lindt as CEO until 2022 and has served on the board since then, according to the company. Lechner spent 33 years with Lindt. Executive Chairman Ernst Tanner thanked him in a statement for his contribution to the group's growth.
Lindt has cut its 2026 sales outlook twice this year. The company now forecasts full-year sales between flat and 2% growth, down from the 6% to 8% organic expansion it first targeted. Lindt blamed the latest cut on weaker-than-anticipated orders in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, along with a drop-off in its seasonal business.
Lindt stock has lost about a quarter of its value this year. It was indicated 0.7% higher in premarket trading on Monday.
Lindt also announced leadership changes in Germany and Austria. Michal Spiller, CEO of Germany, will leave the company after 23 years. Ali Kulein, CEO of Austria, will succeed him, subject to formal approval by the local Supervisory Board. Fabian Reinhardt, Lindt's head of global sales, will take over from Kulein in Austria. Both changes take effect Oct. 26.
Lindt will publish 2026 net sales on Jan. 19, 2027.
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