Chief executive leaves with immediate effect

Lindt & Sprüngli said on Monday, 19 October 2026, that chief executive Adalbert Lechner is leaving the Swiss chocolate maker with immediate effect. The company gave no reasons for the departure in its announcement. Lechner, 65, had spent 33 years with the group and had led it since 2022, a period in which Lindt has struggled with weak demand. The exit came less than a month after the company cut its outlook for a second time this year.

Interim leadership and succession

Dieter Weisskopf, 71, takes over the operational leadership on an interim basis with immediate effect. He ran the group from 2016 to 2022, previously served as its finance chief, and currently sits on the board as vice chairman. A permanent successor is to be named in the second quarter of 2027 at the latest. The board said the company needs new operational leadership to return to consistent, strong growth and to use its market opportunities worldwide more fully.

“New operational leadership is needed to return to consistent, strong growth and to capture market opportunities worldwide.”

Higher prices, weaker volumes

The sales problems stem from steep price increases, which the maker introduced because of higher cocoa costs. Prices rose by an average of 11.8% in the first half of 2026, while the quantities sold fell markedly. Consumers in Germany, Switzerland and the United Kingdom reacted more sensitively to the increases than the company had expected. Over the summer Lindt began offering some products at lower prices again and is relying more on smaller packs. The company also blamed heat across Europe during the summer for weighing on business.

Guidance cut and share price

In late September, Lindt lowered its revenue forecast for the second time this year. It now expects organic growth of 0 to 2% for 2026. Sources differ on the original target, which Handelsblatt puts at 6 to 8%, while Le Temps and 20 Minuten put it at 4 to 6%. The share price fell sharply after the cut. Since the start of the year the stock has lost about 25% of its value, and it is almost 40% below its high from last summer.

Outlook and regional changes

Weisskopf intends to focus first on the European business, raising investment in the brands and improving profitability. Business in North America and Asia is running noticeably better. Germany is also changing leadership, as country head Michal Spiller leaves the company after 23 years. Ali Kulein, currently head of Austria, succeeds him on 26 October, and Fabian Reinhardt, currently head of global sales, is to take over the Austria post in the same change. The search for the group's permanent chief executive has already begun.