AAK taps automotive industry exec as new president, ceo

Johan Westman joins fats and oils supplier after serving Ohio-based Shiloh Industries.

Fats and oils supplier AAK AB has named Johan Westman as its new president and ceo, effective June 1.

Westman joins the Swedish company after serving as senior v.p. - Europe and managing director of the BlankLight division of Shiloh Industries, a manufacturer of vehicle chassis and power systems based in Valley City, Ohio.

Westman, 44, has close to 20 years of industrial experience in management consulting as well as in the automotive supplier industry. He served as president and ceo of FinnvedenBulten AB between 2009 and 2014 and president of the Finnveden Metal Structures AB division from 2008 to 2014. Prior to these positions, he spent eight years in management consulting with Arthur D. Little.

"This is a great honor for me and I am very excited to join AAK," Westman says. "Under the leadership of the group management, the company has seen strong sales and profit growth. Together we will continue this growth journey and take AAK to the next level."

Westman holds a master's degree in industrial engineering from Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden.

"With the recruitment of Johan Westman we will have a ceo with broad industrial and international experience," says Mikael Ekdahl, chairman of AAK’s board of directors. "He has over the last ten years successfully developed companies to drive shareholder value through profitability improvements, organic growth as well as global expansion. I am confident that Johan will continue to develop AAK in the best possible way."

Westman succeeds Arne Frank, who passed away in July after battling cancer.

Alyse Thompson has held many positions with BNP Media, first serving as an intern at Candy Industry Magazine in summer 2012. She joined Candy Industry's staff full time as associate editor in August 2016 after a few years at newspapers in West-Central Illinois, becoming managing editor in March 2019. Alyse has also served as managing editor of Cannabis Products Magazine since March 2019. She has bachelor’s degrees in journalism and Spanish from Western Illinois University.