175 years Lindt & Sprüngli

11 Passion — 175 years of chocolate history Ernst Tanner With a career of over 25 years in an American corporation behind him, Ernst Tanner took over the management of the Lindt&Sprüngli Group in 1993 as CEO andVice President. From 1994 to 2016, he served as CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors and shaped the success story of Lindt&Sprüngli. He has been the Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors since 2017. Is there a secret behind how you’ve never fallen into a humdrum routine after all these years, but rather have always enthusiastically embarked on new projects? For me, curiosity, communicativeness, and openness are important keys to success. I love travelling abroad and like to be inspired by new things time and time again. And finally, one more question about the anniversary year: What are your hopes for Lindt&Sprüngli for the next 175 years? I hope that Lindt&Sprüngli will remain a Swiss company, autonomous, independent, and a guarantor of superior company performance that produces creative premium chocolate to delight people over and over again. I would also like our employees to be proud to be part of the company and for Lindt&Sprüngli to continue to be one of the most popular employers. On top of this, our shareholders’ satisfaction, which reflects our performance, is also important to me. For us as a company, environmental protec- tion will remain an important issue as well as the continuous improvement of the living standards in cocoa-growing countries. When it was exactly, I can no longer say. It was a chocolate Christmas tree decoration that I was only allowed to eat on December 24. Do you remember your very first experience with chocolate? When and where was that? Independent businessman. If you grow up on a farm, you learn at an early stage to enjoy your freedom and take responsibility. My two employers Johnson & Johnson and Lindt &Sprüngli allowed me to make full use of my entrepreneurial talent. Do you remember what you wanted to be when you were a child? At home, we had milk chocolate and milk chocolate with nuts. I truly like both types to this very day. And what is your favorite chocolate? What was it back then and what is it now? Has your taste changed? I am happy to speak up for people that are from less well-off backgrounds and are in need of help, regardless of whether these people are in Switzerland or they are our cocoa farmers and their families in the respective growing countries. The future of the next generation is very important to me. What are you passion- ate about besides the chocolate business? Is there anything? I attach great value to speaking with my family and friends as a way of relaxing. If you want to relax at home after a hard day at work, how do you switch off?