Carlsberg Foundation appoints Lasse Horne Kjældgaard as its first CEO

For the very first time since Carlsberg founder J.C. Jacobsen created the Carlsberg Foundation 146 years ago, its operations are to be headed by a CEO. The post will be filled by Lasse Horne Kjældgaard, a doctor of philosophy and professor at the University of Southern Denmark, who brings considerable experience from various leading roles at key Danish research and cultural institutions.

His appointment follows a rigorous recruitment and strategy process to future-proof the foundation organisationally and strengthen its relations with the outside world. He will start on 1 January 2023.

The CEO will head up the foundation’s day-to-day operations and work with its secretariat on the execution of the foundation’s strategies.

Majken Schultz, who chairs the foundation’s Board of Directors, comments:

“I’m delighted to welcome Lasse Horne Kjældgaard as CEO of the Carlsberg Foundation. His appointment marks an historic change in the organisation of the foundation which will bring greater transparency to its activities and draw a clear boundary between its board and management.

“The foundation’s relevance and social licence depend on a constant dialogue with research institutions, academia and politicians on the basis and challenges for research in Denmark. Only then can the foundation support these institutions most meaningfully. The role of CEO will ensure that this dialogue takes place in the correct manner.”

Lasse Horne Kjældgaard looks forward to starting as the foundation’s first CEO:

“The Carlsberg Foundation has been a driving force in Danish science, culture and business for almost 150 years, thus benefiting the whole of Danish society. I cannot wait to take this valuable legacy further and work with the foundation’s secretariat to achieve the goals set by the new Board of Directors. Not least, I look forward to collaborating with the many stakeholders working alongside the Carlsberg Foundation in the service of science with the aim of creating the best possible environment for research in Denmark.”

As CEO, Lasse Horne Kjældgaard will help represent the Carlsberg Foundation externally, manage its relations with research institutions, researchers and universities, and foster the best possible interaction with the foundation’s many partners.

Majken Schultz adds:

“It’s incredibly positive that we now have a CEO for the Carlsberg Foundation who already has considerable experience of both research and the management of research institutions. I’m certain that Lasse with his great personal commitment to science, combined with a deep understanding of the foundation’s unique history and position in Danish society, will be a huge asset in the foundation’s continued work to support basic research in Denmark.”

The new CEO will have overall responsibility for the foundation’s various departments, which include the Tuborg Foundation, the Museum of National History at Frederiksborg Castle, and the Carlsberg Research Laboratory. The day-to-day running of the departments will continue to be handled by their respective management teams.  

About Lasse Horne Kjældgaard

Lasse Horne Kjældgaard holds an MA in Danish and English, a PhD in Nordic literature from the University of Copenhagen, and a DPhil from Roskilde University. He headed the Georg Brandes researcher education programme at the University of Copenhagen in 2009 and 2010, and then served as director of literary publisher DSL from 2011 to 2015. He was a professor at Roskilde University from 2015 to 2020 and has since been a professor and director of the Hans Christian Andersen Centre in the Department for the Study of Culture at the University of Southern Denmark.

Lasse Horne Kjældgaard has sat on various boards and is the author of numerous works, including Meningen med velfærdsstaten: Da litteraturen tog ordet – og politikerne lyttede (The purpose of the welfare state: When literature spoke – and politicians listened), published by Gyldendal in 2018.

About the Carlsberg Foundation

The Carlsberg Foundation is one of Denmark’s oldest industrial foundations, founded by Brewer J.C. Jacobsen in 1876. The main objective of the foundation is to support basic scientific research within the natural sciences, the humanities and the social sciences. The funds for the foundation’s awards come primarily from the profits of the Carlsberg A/S brewery, in which the Carlsberg Foundation has a controlling shareholding.

The Carlsberg Foundation formally consists of Department A: Carlsberg Laboratory, Department B: Support for scientific activities, Department C: The Museum of National History at Frederiksborg and Department D: The Tuborg Foundation.

Press enquiries should be directed to Editor and Press Advisor Jane Benarroch, tel. +45 31640010, e-mail jb@carlsbergfoundation.dk