KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Andreas Pfluger, CEO of Lindt & Sprungli North America, has announced his resignation from the Swiss chocolate and confection company. Pfluger will retire at the end of the year after a quarter of a century with the company.
His duties will be handled by other members of Lindt & Sprungli’s management group.
“On behalf of the board of directors, the group management and all employees, I would like to take the opportunity to thank Andreas Pfluger for his dedication, commitment and outstanding contributions for the success of the company during all these years and wish him all the best for the future,” said Dieter Weisskopf, CEO of Lindt & Sprungli.
Pfluger began his career in 1986 as vice president of marketing for Unilever’s Lipton brand, a role he held until becoming vice president of marketing for Lindt & Sprungli in 1993. Four years later, Pfluger was named CEO of Lindt & Sprungli Australia and helped spearhead the brand’s expansion in the continent. He was named CEO of Lindt & Sprungli France in 2001, another role that he held for four years, and helped drive Lindt’s France revenue 40% during his tenure.
In 2005, Pfluger became president and CEO of the Ghirardelli Chocolate Co.—one of Lindt & Sprungli’s largest divisions—and led its operations in the United States, Canada and Mexico. He left Ghirardelli in 2011 upon becoming president and head office of Lindt & Sprungli’s headquarters. In September 2014, Pfluger moved to Kansas City, Mo., after being named president and CEO of Russell Strover Candies Inc.—a move that came at the heels of Lindt & Sprungli acquiring the Missouri-based confectioner. He became CEO of Lindt & Sprungli North American in March 2014.
The Lindt & Sprungli Group is known for its chocolate truffles, chocolate bars and chocolate sticks, among other various desserts and liqueurs. Its subsidiaries include Ghirardelli, Russell Strover, Caffarel, Hofbauer and Kufferle. The Zurich, Switzerland-based company has U.S. headquarters in Kansas City, Mo.
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