Swiss chocolate company Lindt & Sprüngli has changed its top leader because of business problems. On 19 October, Lindt said its chief executive, Adalbert Lechner, would leave after 33 years in the company. Dieter Weisskopf, who led the company before and is now vice-chairman of the board, took over as temporary chief. Lindt plans to choose a permanent chief executive in the second quarter of 2027.

This change happened mainly because the price of cocoa, the main ingredient in chocolate, has gone up quickly in recent months. At the same time, people in Europe have been buying less chocolate. Because of these problems, Lindt made less money than expected and lowered its future sales goals.

The main result of these challenges is a focus on new leadership. The new chief executive, Dieter Weisskopf, now needs to help the company increase its sales in Europe and keep its business strong in other parts of the world while dealing with higher ingredient costs.