Givaudan announced today that Chris Thoen, head of global science & technology, decided for private reasons to retire at the end of August 2018. Currently an EC-member, he will step down from the Executive Committee at the end of May and continue to provide advice on strategic projects until his retirement.  


Gilles Andrier, chief executive officer of Givaudan, said: "On behalf of Givaudan's leadership team, I would like to thank Chris Thoen for his contributions over the past seven years. He successfully advanced key programs in flavors, expanded Givaudan's global innovation collaborations with external partners, and established a solid foundation to strategically manage the S&T portfolio with increased transparency. I wish him all the best for his retirement."Upon his retirement, programs under Chris Thoen's responsibility will be managed by our respective divisional science & technology organizations in Flavours and Fragrances.



Thoen retires after a distinguished 32-year global career in research and development, notably in various senior positions at P&G. He joined Givaudan as head of science & technology for flavors in 2011, and was appointed head of global science & technology and a member of the executive committee in October 2015. During his career, he participated in technology discovery resulting in more than 80 patents and he led the development and commercialization of many new technologies in various market products. He played a key role in accelerating innovation through collaboration with external partners and in driving portfolio management and strategic prioritisation.