Lindt is changing its chief executive officer as it tries to engineer a turnaround and deal with record-high cocoa costs and weak consumer demand that have weighed on the Swiss confectionary industry.
Adalbert Lechner took over as CEO in 2022 and was at the helm during an incredibly challenging period for the sector. Sales and profit margins have been under pressure, and Lindt has issued two warnings this year alone.
Lindt isn’t the first company to change management as it looks for a route through the current troubles. At the start of the year, Barry Callebaut AG appointed a former Unilever Plc boss to take charge in what was its third CEO appointment in less than five years.
Lindt shares fell as much as 3% in early Zurich trading, deepening a selloff that has wiped about 28% off the stock’s value this year. Barry Callebaut is down about 13% so far in 2026.
Lindt, the maker of the iconic golden Easter bunny and the Lindor chocolate balls, is bringing back a former CEO, current vice-chairman Dieter Weisskopf, as interim chief, it said Monday. It expects to appoint a permanent successor in the second quarter of 2027.
Previous to his role as group CEO, Lechner headed Lindt’s German and Austrian businesses, giving him first-hand experience in two markets where the chocolate maker has faced some of its biggest challenges recently.
“The board should also face scrutiny: we believe it could have intervened earlier, particularly given Lechner’s extensive experience in Germany and Austria,” Vontobel analyst Jean-Philippe Bertschy said in a note.
Lindt cut its guidance for 2026 sales growth at the end of September and pledged to lower prices for its chocolate products amid weak demand especially in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. It had already lowered its outlook in March.
Lindt also appointed new heads for Germany and Austria as part of its management changes.
(Updates with shares, Swiss industry details, starting in first paragraph.)
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