Global natural colours producer Oterra has announced the appointment of Susanne Arfelt Rajamand as Chief Executive Officer, effective 12 October 2026.
Rajamand brings more than two decades of international executive experience across the food, foodservice, and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sectors. She succeeds interim leadership as the enterprise seeks to accelerate its commercial growth trajectory, particularly across the expanding United States natural food colour market.
The appointment comes as the business targets a doubling of its core US commercial operations over the next two years, leveraging expanding regulatory and consumer shifts toward plant-based and natural colour alternatives.
Executive Leadership
Rajamand joins Oterra following senior leadership roles across major global food and ingredient enterprises:
💼 Royal Greenland: Served most recently as Group Chief Executive Officer, directing corporate strategy and international operations across the seafood major.
🥛 Fonterra: Held senior executive management roles within the international dairy cooperative's commercial divisions.
🧂 McCormick & Company: Directed commercial and regional growth strategies for the flavour and spice enterprise.
🧴 Unilever: Managed international consumer goods portfolios and commercial operations across global markets.
Arnd Kaldowski, Chairman of the Board at Oterra, stated that Rajamand’s commercial track record and experience leading international, growth-focused organisations position her to build on the enterprise's existing foundation. Kaldowski highlighted that double-digit sales growth in the US during the current financial year has established a strong sales pipeline for upcoming operational cycles.
Rajamand added that Oterra holds an established global position in natural colours, noting that her immediate focus will centre on working alongside the leadership team and board to capitalise on market opportunities, specifically the ongoing US industry transition from synthetic to natural food colourings.
“I’m excited and honored to be joining Oterra. Oterra has built a strong position as a global leader in natural food colors, with a talented team, a strong product portfolio and a very exciting growth opportunity ahead, particularly with the ongoing conversion of the U.S. market to natural food colors. I look forward to working closely with the leadership team, the Board of Directors and the wider organization to build on this strong foundation and shape Oterra's next chapter of growth.”
Natural Colour Conversion
The executive appointment aligns with accelerating commercial momentum for natural colourants across North American food and beverage manufacturing.
Driven by shifting consumer preferences regarding clean-label transparency and evolving state-level regulatory scrutiny on artificial food dyes, food processors are increasingly converting product lines to natural alternatives.
Key operational metrics and growth targets for the enterprise include:
US Performance Metric: Delivered double-digit revenue growth across its core United States commercial operations during the current financial year.
Two-Year Growth Target: Positioned to double its core US business footprint within the next two years based on current sales pipeline conversions.
Governance and Background: A Danish national, Rajamand holds an MSc in Business from Copenhagen Business School and an Executive MBA from INSEAD, currently serving as a non-executive board member at Danish Crown and Protix.
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