Niels B. Christiansen | |
---|---|
Born | Sonderborg, Denmark | 12 April 1966
Alma mater | Technical University of Denmark (BA, MS) INSEAD (MBA) |
Occupation | Businessman |
Known for | Former CEO of Danfoss; CEO of Lego |
Title | President and CEO of The Lego Group |
Term | October 2017 – present |
Predecessor | Bali Padda |
Niels B. Christiansen (born 12 April 1966) is a Danish businessman who is the current president and chief executive officer of The Lego Group.
Christiansen was managing director and chief executive officer of Danfoss from October 2008 to July 2017, when he was succeeded by Kim Fausing. [1] In August 2017, Lego announced that Christiansen would take over as chief executive officer in October. [2]
As a student from Aabenraa State School, Christiansen graduated as a civil engineer from the Technical University of Denmark in 1991. He completed an MBA from INSEAD in 1993. [3]
Christiansen was a Management Consultant at McKinsey from 1991 to 1995 and Vice President of Corporate Development at the Hilti Corporation from 1995 to 1997, before being employed by GN netcom. From 2000 to 2003, he was the managing director and chief executive officer of GN Netcom, and from 2003 to 2004, he was the Group Executive Vice President of GN Store Nord. [2]
In 2004, Christiansen joined Danfoss, holding positions at the company such as COO (2005–2006), deputy managing director (2006–2008), and managing director and chief executive officer (2008–2017). [4]
On 1 October 2017 he became the managing director and chief executive officer of the Lego Group.
Christiansen is chairman of the Board of William Demant Holding A/S and a member of the Board of the Tetra Laval Group. [5]
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate executive charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization.
Ole Kirk Christiansen was a Danish carpenter. In 1932, he founded the construction toy company Lego, later known as The Lego Group. Christiansen transformed his small woodworking shop, which initially sold household products, into a manufacturer of wooden toys. By 1934, he had officially named the company Lego and established its fundamental principles. The business shifted to producing plastic bricks after the acquisition of a plastic moulding injection machine in 1947. Following his death in 1958, the company's management was handed over to his son, Godtfred.
Billund is a town in Jutland, Denmark. With a population of 7,307, Billund is the second largest town in Billund Municipality, behind the municipal seat of Grindsted. It is located approximately 13 kilometers east of Grindsted and 27 kilometers west of Vejle.
Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen is a Danish businessman who was the president and CEO of The Lego Group from 1979 to 2004. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Kristiansen is the third richest Dane, with a net worth of US$7.26 billion as of April 2024. He is the grandson of Lego founder Ole Kirk Christiansen.
This article lists notable events and releases in the history of the Lego Group.
Danfoss is a Danish multinational company, based in Denmark, with more than 41,928 employees globally. Danfoss was founded in 1933 by engineer Mads Clausen.
Demant A/S is a Danish multinational company involved with hearing care, hearing aids, audiometric equipment and personal communication devices.
Lego began in 1934 in the carpentry workshop of Ole Kirk Christiansen, a Danish furniture maker. During the Great Depression, he began to make miniature versions of his products, which inspired him to produce toys. In 1934 the company was named "Lego", a contraction from the Danish phrase "leg Godt", meaning "play well".
The Lego Group is a Danish construction toy production company based in Billund, Denmark. It manufactures Lego-branded toys, consisting mostly of interlocking plastic bricks. The Lego Group has also built several amusement parks around the world, each known as Legoland, and operates numerous retail stores.
Godtfred Kirk Christiansen was the managing director of The Lego Group from 1957 to 1973. He was the third son of company founder Ole Kirk Christiansen and took over as managing director in 1957, eventually becoming the sole owner. Godtfred is credited with playing a pivotal role in the development of the Lego brick design and patented it in 1958. He also created the Lego System in Play, the cornerstone of the Lego construction toy. Godtfred stepped down as Leader of the company in 1973. His son Kjeld Kirk Christiansen became president in 1979.
Jørgen Vig Knudstorp is a Danish businessman who is the current executive chairman of The LEGO Group. He succeeded Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen as president and CEO of the company in October 2004, holding the position for over 12 years until January 2017, when he stepped down to become executive chairman.
GN Store Nord A/S is a Danish manufacturer of hearing aids, speakerphones, videobars and headsets. GN Store Nord A/S is listed on NASDAQ OMX Copenhagen.
Sønderborg is a Danish town in the Region of Southern Denmark. It is the main town and the administrative seat of Sønderborg Municipality (Kommune). The town has a population of 28,277, in a municipality of 74,233. In recent times, Sønderborg is a center for trade, tourism, industry, and education in the region of Southern Denmark. The town is the headquarters for several industrial companies. Sønderborg joined the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities in 2016.
SMA Solar Technology AG is a German solar energy equipment supplier founded in 1981 and headquartered in Niestetal, Northern Hesse, Germany. SMA is a producer and manufacturer of solar inverters for photovoltaics systems with grid connection, off-grid power supply and backup operations.
Lars Kolind is a Danish businessman. Kolind holds an M.Sc. in Mathematics from Aarhus University from 1972 and a B.Comm. from the Copenhagen Business School from 1977. He is adjunct professor of leadership and strategy at Aarhus University Business School since 2000. He serves as Detao Master of Leadership and Strategy since 2012.
Bali Padda is a British-Indian businessman who was briefly the CEO of The Lego Group. Prior to this role, he was Lego's chief operations officer. He inherited the role of CEO from Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, who stepped down to lead the LEGO Brand Group in January 2017. He was the first non-Danish top-level executive to run the 84-year-old company.
Kåre Schultz is a Danish business executive. Was the chief executive officer of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries between September 2017 and December 2022.
Nils Christensen or Kristensen may refer to: