Sales Jump 8.7% at Lonza

Throughout 2016, Lonza continued to deliver record financial results with outstanding improvements across all key performance indicators, leading to the best-ever full-year results in the company’s history, it said. It recorded strong sales growth of 8.7% to $4.1 billion.

The outstanding improvements were particularly driven by commercial excellence and strong operational execution in the Pharma&Biotech segment, said the company.
 
The Specialty Ingredients segment posted sustained strong performance again this year with a sales increase of 3.8% to $2.25 billion during 2016.

This good progress was driven by the strong results in the Wood Protection, Consumer Care and Water Treatment business, as well as by improved product mix and portfolio optimization.

“Lonza has made another leap forward by successfully delivering on all major key performance indicators for the fifth year in a row,” said Richard Ridinger, CEO of Lonza. “We as an organization are proud of these record-breaking full-year results as we see that the hard work of our employees is paying off. The regained strength of Lonza makes us confident that we are well prepared for the next cycle of accelerated organic and inorganic growth.”

He added, “With the successful acquisitions of Triangle Research Labs and InterHealth Nutraceuticals in 2016, as well as the anticipated closing of the Capsugel acquisition in 2017, we clearly have the momentum to propel us toward our strategic goal of being the leading player along the healthcare continuum.”

Based on the sound foundation laid in 2016 for the future, Lonza’s outlook for 2017 is sales growth of mid-single digits.

In other news, the Board of Directors is proposing to Lonza’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), to be held on April 25, the election of Albert M. Baehny as a new member of the Board. Subject to his election, the Board will appoint Baehny as Vice Chairman of the Board with the intention to propose him as the new Chairman at the AGM 2018. The Board is proposing the re-election of Rolf Soiron as its Chairman for one more year until the AGM 2018 in order to ensure continuity in the supervision of the Capsugel transaction and its successful integration.

Thomas Ebeling has decided not to stand for re-election at the AGM this year. The Board would like to thank Thomas Ebeling for his contributions during his three years of service on the Board and on the Nomination and Compensation Committee. The Board is further proposing to the AGM the re-election of all other Board members.

The Board of Directors also appointed Fridtjof Helemann, Chief Human Resources Officer for Lonza, as a member of the Executive Committee (EC), effective as of Feb. 1, 2017. He joined Lonza in June 2016 as chief human resources officer (CHRO). He has 30 years of experience as an HR executive leader in different industries and was managing partner at Oxford Leadership prior to joining Lonza.

His previous roles include CEO and partner of Mercer Inc. Central Europe, corporate vice president HR Henkel AG and various roles in HR consulting including Partner Hay Group and MD Kienbaum. He started his career as HR manager at Daimler-Benz.