DFE Pharma appoints Sven Abend as new CEO

DFE Pharma, a provider of pharma and nutraceutical excipient solutions, announced that Dr Sven Abend has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). With 25 years of global business leadership experience, Abend will succeed Martti Hedman and assume his responsibilities on February 1, 2025. Hedman has decided to retire from his position as CEO after three years with DFE Pharma during which time he played a pivotal role in shaping the future of the company.

Abend brings a long-standing and diverse experience in the chemical industry. His most recent position was CEO of Gelita, a manufacturer of gelatin and collagen peptides for the food, health, nutrition and pharmaceutical industries. Before that, he worked at Lonza (as Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Operating Officer), Kolb (as Business Manager and CEO), and Cognis (in product management and key account roles). Abend also holds a PhD in Chemistry from Christian-Albrechts-Universität in Kiel (Germany).

Since 2020, DFE Pharma has been jointly owned by Royal FrieslandCampina, a multinational dairy company, and CVC Strategic Opportunities II, a fund managed by the global investment firm CVC Capital Partners; each holding a 50 per cent share.