WILLIAM DEMANT FOUNDATION - Key Persons
Anders Højsgaard Thomsen holds a Master of Science (MSc) in Engineering from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). He is Director, Audiological Solutions, in Demant's R&D department and has been with Demant since 2002.
Job Titles:
- Employer Branding & Talent Acquisition Partner
Anne-Karen Hunt joined Demant in November 2024 as President of the Diagnostics business area and member of Demant's Executive Leadership Team.
Anne-Karen brings strong international experience from some of the world's largest healthcare companies, including Johnson & Johnson, Abbott and most recently GE HealthCare, where she held the position of President Ultrasound International (EMEA, APAC, LATAM).
As President of Diagnostics, Anne-Karen is responsible for the overall Diagnostics business area in Demant, operating under different brands all over the world.
Anne-Karen holds a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Marketing and Economics from the University of Bayreuth and a Master of Science (MSc) in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Düsseldorf.
Job Titles:
- Investor Relations Officer
Job Titles:
- External Communication Manager
Job Titles:
- Graduate Programme Manager
Kristian Villumsen holds a Master of Science (MSc) in Political Science from Aarhus University in Denmark and a Master of Science in Public Policy from Harvard University. His competencies include management and board experience from listed companies, innovation, sales, strategy deployment and commercial excellence.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Chairman of the Nomination Committee
- Member of the Remuneration Committee
- Chairman ( Not Independent ), Lars Nørby Johansen ( Not Independent ), Niels Jacobsen ( Not Independent ) and Søren Nielsen ( Not Independent )
Joined the Board of Directors in 2008 and was most recently re-elected in 2024 for a term of one year. He chairs the nomination and remuneration committees. He is not considered independent because of his seat on the boards of William Demant Foundation and William Demant Invest A/S.
Niels B. Christiansen holds a Master of Science (MSc) in Engineering from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and an MBA from INSEAD in France. His international experience from the management of major, global, industrial hi-tech corporations is comprehensive. He has extensive board experience from listed companies as well as comprehensive insight into industrial policy.
Joined the Board of Directors in 2017 and was most recently re-elected in 2024 for a term of one year. He is a member of the audit, nomination and remuneration committees. Because of his position as CEO of William Demant Invest A/S, he is not considered independent.
Niels Jacobsen holds a Master of Science (MSc) degree in Economics from Aarhus University in Denmark. He has extensive leadership experience from major international companies. His competencies include business management and in-depth knowledge of financial matters, accounting, risk management and M&A. He has broad experience from the global healthcare industry.
Job Titles:
- President of Hearing Care
Niels Wagner joined Demant in 1996 and has since then held various positions in the Group in both Denmark and Oticon Germany before joining Oticon Australia in 2000 as General Manager of the company's retail operations. After his return in 2003, Niels left the company to join first the Danish optical retailer Synoptik as Sales Director and then GN ReSound as Vice President of Retail. In 2007, Niels returned to Demant where he has been since and now holds the position of President of Demant's Hearing Care (retail) business area.
Niels Wagner holds a Master of Science (MSc) in Economics from Aarhus University in Denmark. Assisting hearing aid users on every step of their journey to improve their hearing, providing professional counselling through Demant's many hearing aid clinics all over the world and not least seeing the life-changing impact that Demant's products make for people with hearing loss are what drives Niels.
Job Titles:
- Head of Investor Relations
Job Titles:
- CFO / President of Group Services
- Chief Financial Officer ( CFO ) and Member of the Executive Board
René Schneider joined the company in September 2015 as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and member of the Executive Board. René Schneider has broad business and financial experience from various management positions with major companies, including Auriga Industries (Cheminova), NeuroSearch, NNIT and Novo Nordisk.
His areas of responsibility in Demant include HR, Finance, Operations, IT, Executive Support & Corporate Strategy, Investor Relations and Legal Affairs.
René Schneider holds a Master of Science (MSc) in Economics from Aarhus University in Denmark. He has extensive international experience in such areas as streamlining and re-establishing companies, M&As and driving value creation.
Job Titles:
- Head of Group Privacy & Compliance
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Audit Committee
- Chairman ( Independent ), Niels Jacobsen ( Not Independent ) and Kristian Villumsen ( Independent )
- State - Authorised Public Accountant
Sisse Fjelsted Rasmussen is a state-authorised public accountant and holds a Master of Science (MSc) in Business Economics and Auditing from Copenhagen Business School (CBS). She has extensive experience from and competencies in finance and accounting. Her competencies include management and board experience from listed companies, value creation, change management and M&A activities.
Job Titles:
- Executive Leadership Team Consists of Four Members
- President & CEO / President of Hearing Aids
Søren Nielsen joined the company in 1995 and has since then worked within multiple areas of the Group. In his first years, he worked with the Group's then newly acquired hearing aid manufacturer, Bernafon, in Switzerland where he was instrumental in integrating Bernafon into the Demant multi-brand structure. He then moved on to also work within shared services as Quality Director and as business unit team leader in Oticon.
Since 2008, Søren Nielsen has been overall responsible for all the Group's hearing aid activities, consisting of four hearing aid brands, and been President of Oticon, and he has had a decisive say in Demant's important strategic decisions and acquisitions. In 2015, he was appointed COO & Deputy CEO of Demant, which was back then called William Demant Holding, and he has been a member of the Executive Board since September 2015. After more than 20 years with the Group, he took over as President & CEO of Demant in April 2017.
Søren Nielsen holds a Master of Science (MSc) in Industrial Management and Product Development from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). He used Oticon as a case in his thesis work, and right after his graduation, he was employed with the company, which he has since then got to know from all angles imaginable. Søren Nielsen has a wide network in the global hearing healthcare community. One of the most important things that drives him is experiencing how proper hearing healthcare can positively change the lives of people with hearing loss and add immense value to society.
Thomas Duer holds a Master of Science (MSc)in Electrical Engineering from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). He is Director, Audiological Solutions, in Demant's R&D department and has been with Demant since 2002.