Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen

Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen was born November 29, 1966 and is a Danish business executive who served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Novo Nordisk between January 2017 and August 2025. He was raised on a family farm in Skals, a small town in Jutland, Denmark, an experience he credited with instilling values of responsibility and hard work.

Jørgensen earned an MSc in Finance & Business Administration from Aarhus University in 1991. He joined Novo Nordisk that same year as an economist in Health Care, Economy & Planning. Over his 34-year tenure, he served roles in Europe, USA and Japan with increasing responsibilities in finance, manufacturing, commercial, quality, human resources, strategy and business development.

Career history

• Vice President for IT and Corporate Development (2004)
• Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer (January 2013)
• Executive Vice President overseeing Corporate People & Organization and Business Assurance (November 2014)
• President and CEO of Novo Nordisk (January 2017 – August 2025)

During his leadership, Jørgensen presided over unprecedented financial and operational growth for the company, largely driven by the global expansion and market success of its GLP-1 receptor agonist portfolio, including the diabetes treatment Ozempic and the weight-loss medication Wegovy. In December 2023, he was named Financial Times Person of the Year. He served as President of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) from 2023-2025, and joined the Board of Directors at Danmarks Nationalbank in 2024. In September 2024, Jørgensen appeared before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health Education, Labor, and Pensions to defend Ozempic and Wegovy drug pricing.

On May 16, 2025, Novo Nordisk announced that Jørgensen would step down as CEO by mutual agreement with the board, with the decision following recent market challenges and a decline in share price since mid-2024. He continued in the position during a transitional period until his successor, Mike Doustdar, officially took over on August 7, 2025. Jørgensen is now Chair of Healthcare Denmark.

What Jørgensen could bring to future leadership roles: Three decades of pharmaceutical industry expertise spanning global operations, IT transformation, and corporate development, combined with proven ability to scale manufacturing capacity and navigate high-stakes government relations. His track record demonstrates strength in stewarding blockbuster product portfolios through complex regulatory environments and managing industry partnerships at the highest levels, alongside strategic experience in M&A and organizational restructuring across multiple international markets.