RANDERS, DENMARK — Danish Crown announced on June 3 that current chief executive officer Jais Valeur is stepping down. Meanwhile, the company is expediting its search for new leadership.

Valeur has served as CEO for Danish Crown for nearly nine years. He agreed to continue to lead the company until a replacement can be found.

“Earlier in the year, I informed Danish Crown that I do not see myself as CEO of the company in the longer term,” Valeur said. “I can therefore appreciate why the board of directors wants to accelerate this process and look further ahead to ensure that the company can embrace its new strategy with a new executive board in place for the longer term. Danish Crown has come a long way while I’ve been at the helm, but there is still a huge and also highly exciting task facing the company in the coming years. It will call for a massive and persistent effort by the executive board. I will now focus on steering Danish Crown through the coming period to create the best possible conditions for my replacement.”

In May, the Danish Crown board of directors began to form a new group strategy, which the company expects to be ready for presentation in the fall.

Danish Crown also hinted that an announcement that a new group chief financial officer will soon be released. The new team member will take over on Dec. 1 for Thomas Ahle, who is leaving the company to join STARK Group.