With effect from September 1, Jais Valeur, the current MD of Arla Foods’ Chinese joint venture, will assume responsibility for Global Ingredients with the title of Executive Director.

For almost 18 months, Jais Valeur has been in charge of the joint venture company, Mengnui Arla and its 800 staff working with production and sales of milk powder for the Chinese market. The construction of a second milk powder factory has just begun in Hohhot, and by the time Jais Valeur returns to Den-mark to head up Global Ingredients, the second Hohhot project will be well underway. Upon his return, Jais Valeur also joins the Executive Management Group (EMG).

“Jais has been in the driving seat during the first important years in China,” says CEO Peder Tuborgh about the appointment. “Together with his team, he has created a company with potential, which has already developed more rapidly than we expected. He has wide international experience, and I’m very much looking forward to him taking on his new role.”

Niels Ulrich Pedersen, who is currently responsible for Consumer International’s markets in Asia and North and South America, will succeed Jais Valeur as Managing Director of Mengnui Arla. It has not yet been decided who will succeed Niels Ulrich Pedersen. Peter Lauritzen, who has been responsible for Arla Foods’ Ingredients business for 13 years, was recently appointed CEO of Arla’s UK company and is responsible for Consumer UK. He remains a member of EMG.

Facts about Jais Valeur
Jais Valeur, 44, began his career with Arla Foods in 1986 as a sales assistant in the joint venture company, Denmark Protein, a pioneering business within the field of protein processing based on whey. He subsequently rose to become Head of Sales and Marketing. Denmark Protein later developed into what is now an important element in Arla Foods’ Ingredients business – added value food ingredients.

In 1993, Jais Valeur was appointed Director of the Arla subsidiary, Cremo Cheese. In 1994, he and his family moved to New Zealand where he worked for Fonterra, New Zealand’s largest dairy, for four years. Here, he was involved with business development, strategy and development, particularly within the field of milk powder.