AGRANA Beteiligungs-AG has announced that Management Board member Norbert Harringer will step down from his role at his own request at the end of the year.
The decision was confirmed in a company statement issued on 22 December 2025.
Harringer will leave his position with effect from 31 December 2025, ending a 21-year career at AGRANA, including six years on the Management Board.
From 1 January 2026, Chief Operations Officer Franz Ennser will assume responsibility for the areas previously overseen by Harringer. These include Sustainability, Research and Development, and Quality Management.
Ennser will continue to lead his existing operational remit, covering Agricultural Raw Materials, Operational Excellence, and Purchasing, Logistics, and Supply Chain Management.
AGRANA did not name a replacement for Harringer. As a result, the responsibilities are being consolidated under the COO role rather than redistributed to a newly appointed board member.
During his tenure, Harringer served as Chief Technology and Sustainability Officer. According to the Supervisory Board, he played a central role in combining energy-efficient technologies with sustainability frameworks, embedding both into AGRANA’s production and processing operations.
Supervisory Board Chairman Erwin Hameseder thanked Harringer for his contribution, noting his long-standing role in shaping the group’s technological and sustainability direction.
AGRANA converts agricultural raw materials into Food & Beverage Solutions and industrial intermediate products, including fruit preparations, juice concentrates, starches, and bioethanol, with operations spanning multiple global production sites.
Why This Matters
This move reflects a clear shift toward operationalised sustainability within AGRANA’s structure.
By placing Sustainability, R&D, and Quality Management under the Chief Operations Officer — who already controls raw materials, logistics, and production efficiency — AGRANA is directly linking sustainability targets to how products are designed, produced, and sourced, rather than treating them as standalone reporting functions.
For ingredient suppliers operating across complex agricultural and industrial inputs, this approach mirrors broader changes across the fresh produce supply chain in 2025, where tighter coordination between sourcing, processing standards, and logistics execution is becoming essential, even beyond primary produce markets.
The consolidation signals a more execution-focused management model as the group enters 2026.
No further Management Board changes were announced.
Editor’s note: This article is based exclusively on AGRANA Beteiligungs-AG’s official press release issued on 22 December 2025. All dates, roles, and responsibilities reflect the company’s published disclosure. No additional assumptions or external commentary have been added.
