Valby, Denmark – October 18, 2026 -- H. Lundbeck A/S plans to install former Novo Nordisk CEO Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen as Chair of its Board after the 2027 Annual General Meeting (AGM), succeeding Dorothea Wenzel, who will step down at that meeting.
Jørgensen joins the Board as observer on 10 November 2026
Jørgensen will take an observer seat on 10 November 2026 and will remain in that role until the AGM 2027. At that meeting he is expected to be formally elected as a Board member, subject to shareholder approval. The Board intends to elect him Chair thereafter. Nominated candidates will be listed in the notice convening the AGM 2027.
Wenzel exits after leading Lundbeck's Board since March 2025
Wenzel joined the Board in 2021 and chaired the Audit Committee until her appointment as Board Chair following the AGM in March 2025. Lundbeck frames the handover as timed to the next phase of its Focused Innovator strategy, which it launched in February 2024. The company says the "Scale" phase will focus on translating three years of transformation into sustainable long-term growth. Lundbeck cites stronger commercial performance and an advanced pipeline as results of that transformation. It appointed a new CEO in 2023.
New chair brings three decades of pharmaceutical leadership
Jørgensen has more than 30 years of international healthcare experience. He served as President and CEO of Novo Nordisk from 2017 to 2025. Lundbeck credits him with leading Novo Nordisk through a period of significant growth, strengthening its position in diabetes care and establishing a leading position in obesity treatment.
He is a former President of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA). He currently chairs the Board of Healthcare Denmark and sits on the Board of Danmarks Nationalbank. He holds an MSc in Finance and Business Administration from Aarhus University.
Board and incoming chair point to balance sheet and late-stage pipeline
Vice Chair Lene Skole, speaking on behalf of the Lundbeck Foundation and the Board, said the change ensures continuity in Board leadership as the company enters its next phase. Jørgensen said Lundbeck has a solid balance sheet and a pipeline with significant late-stage potential in brain health, and described the company as having the strength and momentum to enter its next growth phase.