One of the major figures in Danish business has been appointed as the new chair of the board at Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects. Karin Verland, former CEO of Pfizer Denmark and anti-torture advocate, takes over the position at one of Denmark’s largest architectural firms.

An experienced and versatile top profile from the business world has just assumed the role of chair of the board at Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects. The company, one of Denmark’s largest architectural firms, has chosen 60-year-old Karin Verland, who is a trained doctor and has held a range of board and top management positions in business, including CEO of Pfizer, chair of the Danish Association of the Pharmaceutical Industry, head of the NGO Dignity, and currently CEO of biotech company Asiros.

“This was an opportunity I couldn’t say no to. Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects is practically an institution in Danish architecture, and it is owner-led with a dedication that goes far beyond just making money. This is a strong foundation for creating something visionary. I look forward to combining this with my skills in business development,” says Karin Verland, new chair of the board at Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects and CEO of Asiros.

The choice of Karin Verland is both a personal and strategic decision for the company, which in recent years has strengthened its focus on areas such as digitalisation, quality assurance, and sustainability.

“Karin brings extensive experience from the business world combined with high credibility and integrity. In many ways, she personifies our values with her curiosity and integrity, and professionally she has strong commercial experience from the pharmaceutical industry, which is subject to strict quality requirements,” says Gyrithe Saltorp, CEO of Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects.

More efficient and sustainable processes

In a sector that globally accounts for up to 40 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects is focused on ensuring that architecture helps solve climate challenges while also providing a solid business foundation.

“We are approaching our 100-year anniversary and have lived through a world war, an oil crisis, two financial crises, and now we are in the midst of a climate crisis. We also have the ambition to celebrate our 200-year anniversary, but that requires us to deliver innovative solutions of high architectural quality, while at the same time transitioning to a future with digitalised construction processes that are both more efficient and sustainable. We believe Karin’s profile is the right one to help us achieve this,” says Gyrithe Saltorp, CEO of Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects.

Karin Verland takes over from Torben Svanberg, who has served as chair for 15 years.