Lindt chairman rules out resignation following CEO departure

Lindt & Sprüngli chairman Ernst Tanner has dismissed speculation that he will step down following former chief executive officer Adalbert Lechner's early departure, according to Food Navigator and Confectionery News. Tanner told Swiss publication NZZ am Sonntag that he is convinced he can help get the company back on track. He also confirmed that the firm has ruled out any group-wide job cuts while beginning its search for a permanent successor. [1][3]

Tanner explained that the early exit of Lechner was intended to provide planning certainty for the business, Food Navigator and Confectionery News reported. Amid questions over executive performance, the 80-year-old chairman is also facing scrutiny regarding his age. Separately, Reuters, BNN Bloomberg, TradingView, and The Economic Times reported that Tanner admitted the company misjudged consumer appetite and got its chocolate price hikes wrong following the CEO's ouster. [1][2][3][4][5][6]

The executive shifts follow earlier difficulties at the Swiss chocolate maker. As FTMQ Food reported earlier, the board replaced Lechner after four years in the role, appointing board vice chairman and former chief executive Dieter Weisskopf as interim group CEO. That leadership change followed poor performance across Europe and two separate outlook cuts. [9]

Headquartered in Kilchberg, Zürich, Lindt & Sprüngli distributes chocolate products across more than 120 countries and operates approximately 530 company-owned stores globally. The manufacturer relies on the conching process invented in 1879 by Rodolphe Lindt, whose business was acquired in 1899. The group reported CHF 5.92 billion in sales for 2025 alongside organic growth of 12.4 percent. [8]