Investors Demand Board Overhaul at Lindt & Spruengli
Major shareholders are calling for a boardroom restructure at Lindt & Spruengli following a share price decline and the ouster of CEO Adalbert Lechner.
Major investors in Swiss chocolate maker Lindt & Spruengli are demanding a comprehensive boardroom overhaul following a sharp decline in share price and the removal of CEO Adalbert Lechner last month. Shareholders, including the advisory group Ethos and representatives from Deka, are calling for a refresh of the board and a reduction in the authority of 80-year-old Chairman Ernst Tanner, who has led the board since 1994.
The unrest follows pricing missteps where the company raised prices by 19% in 2025 and 12% in early 2026 to offset cocoa costs. These increases severely impacted sales volumes, causing organic growth forecasts to drop to between 0% and 2%. While Tanner has refused to step down, stating his priority is to stabilize the company, investors argue that the current concentration of power must be abolished.
Former CEO Dieter Weisskopf is currently serving as interim CEO. The board has begun searching for a permanent replacement, with an appointment expected in the second quarter of 2027. However, critics maintain that replacing the CEO is only a first step and will not resolve the underlying governance issues concerning the board itself.
