Orkla Foods Appoints Karen-Marie Katholm as Chief Supply Chain Officer

As Orkla Foods sharpens its focus on balanced growth, the strategic role of the value chain becomes even more decisive. By simplifying the value chain and capturing the full benefit of its scale, margins are strengthened and resources released that fuel growth - making it a core enabler of the company's long‑term strategy.

“To grow sustainably, we must continuously take cost and complexity out of the value chain. This is how we strengthen our margins, protect price competitiveness and free up resources to invest behind our brands. Delivering on this requires both transformation leadership and deep operational experience — and Karen‑Marie brings exactly that,” says Orkla Foods CEO Aku Vikström.

Extensive global experience in end‑to‑end supply chains

Katholm joins Orkla Foods from AkzoNobel, where she served as Chief Integrated Supply Chain Officer and member of the Executive Committee. In this role, she lead a global organisation responsible for planning, manufacturing, distribution, quality and procurement across more than 130 factories worldwide.

She brings more than two decades of international leadership experience from companies including Arla Foods, United Biscuits, DuPont, Danisco, Nutreco and LEGO — consistently driving large‑scale transformations, operational excellence and high‑performing teams in complex industrial environments.

Katholm began her career at Orkla in the mid‑1990s and now returns with extensive global experience to help lead the next phase of the company’s supply chain development.

A value chain ready for the future

“Orkla Foods combines strong local brands with international scale. That gives us significant opportunities — but also places high demands on our supply chain. To stay competitive, we need a value chain that is reliable, cost‑efficient and agile, and that supports both performance and transformation. I look forward to working with colleagues across our markets to strengthen our competitiveness and build a value chain ready for the future,” Katholm says.

Katholm will assume her role as new Chief Supply Chain Officer on 1 March 2026. She will join the Orkla Foods Management Team and be based in Denmark.