After almost nine years as CFO of Vestas, Marika Fredriksson has decided to hand over the financial reigns to Hans Martin Smith, currently CFO of Vestas Northern & Central Europe (NCE), by March 1, 2022.
Having joined in May 2013, Fredriksson has played an integral role at Vestas. She has led Vestas’ finance function during the company’s turnaround, which was followed by growth from a EUR 6 billion company to well beyond EUR 15 billion. Fredriksson was named CFO of the Year in Denmark in 2015 and among the most influential women in the wind energy industry on several occasions.
“Marika Fredriksson has had a tremendous impact on both Vestas and the wind energy industry as a whole, and has been instrumental to creating Vestas’ strong financial foundation and market-leading position,” states Henrik Andersen, group president and CEO. “We are delighted that we have such a strong successor in Hans Martin Smith, who I look forward to welcoming to executive management. Besides a long and diverse career in Vestas, Hans has all the capabilities and the character to succeed Marika and help us continue our journey towards becoming the global leader in sustainable energy solutions.”
Hans Martin Smith joined Vestas in 2004. Before becoming CFO of Vestas NCE in 2018, Smith grew through the ranks of Vestas serving various leadership positions in several finance areas, including head of Group Treasury & Investor Relations, as well as leadership roles in corporate strategy and technology. Vestas NCE has, with Hans as CFO, strengthened its position in core markets across Central and Eastern Europe, Scandinavia and Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as integrated the offshore activities after the acquisition of MHI Vestas Offshore Wind.
“It is a fundamentally different Vestas that I will be leaving in late February compared to the Vestas I joined almost nine years ago,” adds Fredriksson. “I have worked closely with Hans for most of my time at Vestas and I’m confident his industry knowledge, financial prowess and broad experience will make him a great successor and member of executive management.”
