PARIS — Swiss fragrance and flavors supplier Givaudan on Wednesday revealed executive committee changes it said are in line with the company’s succession planning.
Joe Fabbri — who has had a career of almost 30 years at Givaudan and is currently head of its global environment, health and safety, or EHS, and sustainability — is set to retire from the company’s executive committee on June 30. He will remain at Givaudan through the end of this year to help with the transition process and to consult on strategic projects, the company said in a statement.
Fabbri’s role will be filled by two executives from inside the company. Simon Halle-Smith, head of global human resources, and Willem Mutsaerts, head of global procurement (both executive committee members since 2015), have been given the responsibilities for EHS and sustainability, respectively. They are to maintain their former functions at Givaudan, as well.
Fabbri launched Givaudan’s first worldwide EHS strategy and sustainability program in 2009, and then led the redesign of the company’s purchasing indirect materials and services organization in 2011. In 2008, he became a member of Givaudan’s executive committee and took on the responsibility for global human resources. In that position, Fabbri launched a new human resources strategy and introduced Givaudan’s first human resources business partner concept.
The executive started working at the company in 1989, in its flavors operations in Canada.
Gilles Andrier, chief executive officer of Givaudan, lauded Fabbri for “his strong contribution to driving excellence across the value chain.”
Vernier, Switzerland-based Givaudan is the world’s largest fragrance and flavors creator. As reported, its net profits for 2016 advanced 3.1 percent year-on-year to 644 million Swiss francs, or $653.8 million at average exchange, bolstered by the company’s fine fragrance activity.
Givaudan’s sales of 4.66 billion Swiss francs, or $4.73 billion, rose 6.1 percent in the 12-month period.
The company has a presence in more than 95 locations and 10,000-plus employees around the globe.