Anne-Christine Ahrenkiel Joins Hempel as Chief People & Culture Officer and Executive Vice President

Anne-Christine Ahrenkiel Joins Hempel as Chief People & Culture Officer and Executive Vice President

(IN BRIEF) Hempel A/S has appointed Anne-Christine Ahrenkiel as its new Chief People & Culture Officer (CPCO) and Executive Vice President, People & Culture, effective July 1, 2025. Anne-Christine brings extensive experience in people management and large-scale transformations, having previously held senior roles at DFDS, A.P. Moller-Maersk, Accenture, and Egmont. She will join Hempel’s Executive Group Management, replacing Pernille Fritz Vilhelmsen, who left the company in April. Anne-Christine expressed excitement about contributing to Hempel’s growth and sustainability goals.

(PRESS RELEASE) COPENHAGEN, 20-May-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — Hempel A/S is pleased to announce the appointment of Anne-Christine Ahrenkiel as the new Chief People & Culture Officer (CPCO) and Executive Vice President, People & Culture, effective 1 July 2025. She will join the company’s Executive Group Management and will be responsible for further strengthening Hempel’s people strategy as the company continues its impressive growth and sustainability efforts.

A Strong Leadership Background in People Transformation

Anne-Christine comes to Hempel from DFDS, where she has served as the Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer for the People Division at DFDS, a leading integrated shipping and logistics company in Northern Europe. With a strong career spanning both the public and private sectors, Anne-Christine brings extensive experience in large-scale organizational transformations. She has previously held senior leadership roles at renowned global companies including A.P. Moller-Maersk, Accenture, NNIT, and Egmont, a major Nordic media group.

Michael Hansen, Group President & CEO of Hempel, expressed excitement about the new appointment: “We are thrilled to welcome Anne-Christine to Hempel. Her impressive background in people management and transformation, combined with her track record of success in leadership roles, will be invaluable as we continue to strengthen our organizational culture and drive our ambitious sustainability goals.”

A Vision for Growth and Collaboration

Anne-Christine Ahrenkiel shared her enthusiasm about joining Hempel: “I am delighted to be joining Hempel and look forward to contributing to the continued success of this remarkable company. I’ve followed Hempel’s journey and have been inspired by its strong business performance and sustainability goals. I’m excited to get to know the team and work together to take Hempel to even greater heights.”

Transitioning Leadership

Anne-Christine will succeed Pernille Fritz Vilhelmsen, who left Hempel in April 2025. Her appointment marks a significant step in Hempel’s ongoing commitment to creating a positive, sustainable work environment and furthering the company’s long-term business goals.

About Hempel
As a world-leading supplier of trusted coating solutions, Hempel is a global company with strong values, working with customers in the decorative, marine, infrastructure and energy industries. Hempel factories, R&D centres and stock points are established in every region.

Across the globe, Hempel’s paints and coatings can be found in almost every country of the world. They protect and beautify buildings, infrastructure and other assets, and play an essential role in our customers’ businesses. They help minimise maintenance costs, improve aesthetics and increase energy efficiency.

At Hempel, our purpose is to shape a brighter future with sustainable coating solutions. We firmly believe that we will succeed as a business only if we place sustainability at our heart. Not only is it the right thing to do, it will strengthen our competitive position, make ourselves more resilient and reduce our risk.

Hempel was founded in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1915. It is majority owned by the Hempel Foundation, which ensures a solid economic base for the Hempel Group and supports cultural, social, humanitarian and scientific purposes around the world. www.hempel.com

Media Contact:

Joanna Ashmead
Head of Media Relations
Tel: +45 30772816
Email: communications@hempel.com

SOURCE: Hempel A/S