Andreas Pfluger, ceo of Lindt & Sprüngli North America and Russell Stover, will leave Lindt at the end of this year.
Lindt & Sprüngli AG said the executive, who has served the Swiss company since 1994, intends to retire in December. Pfluger’s duties will be handled by other members of Lindt’s group management.
“On behalf of the Board of Directors, the group management and all employees I would like to take the opportunity to thank Andreas Pfluger for his dedication, commitment and outstanding contributions for the success of the company during all these years and wish him all the best for the future,” said Dieter Weisskopf, ceo of Lindt & Sprüngli Group.
Pfluger came to Lindt in 1994 as marketing manager after serving Unilever in Switzerland. In 1997, he became ceo of Lindt Australia. He then held further positions as ceo of Lindt’s French subsidiary and of Ghirardelli Chocolate Co.
In 2011, Pfluger returned to Lindt’s Swiss headquarters to work for extended group management. He was promoted to member of the group management two years later. Pfluger was responsible for integrating Russell Stover into Lindt Group and the developing specific markets.
Under Pfluger’s leadership, Russell Stover announced it would rework its sugar-free offerings to include stevia, an all-natural sugar replacement made from the plant’s leaves.
“We own more than 80 percent of the chocolate sugar-free market, but the goal was to activate the sugar-free segment,” Pfluger told Candy Industry in 2017. “There’s enormous potential, not only to providing products for diabetics, but also catering to an aging population and consumers looking to reduce their sugar intake.”
