Who are we?
We are an independent Danish foundation with corporate interests. We have the following objectives: to provide a stable basis for the commercial and research activities of the companies in the Novo Group (Novo Nordisk A/S and Novozymes A/S), and to support scientific, humanitarian and social causes.
Ownership
We are an enterprise foundation with a controlling interest in the Novo Group’s two large publicly listed companies, Novo Nordisk A/S and Novozymes A/S. Our fully owned subsidiary, Novo Holdings A/S, manages the ownership of these two companies and the Foundation’s other assets.Governance
As an enterprise foundation, we must comply with the objects described in our Articles of Association. In addition, we are governed by the Danish Foundation Act, meaning that the Danish Business Authority supervises our activities.Goals and values
Through our philanthropic and enterprise activities, we want to contribute to advancing the health of people and the sustainability of society.Our history
Our history dates back to 1922, when Nobel laureate August Krogh returned home from the United States and Canada with permission to produce insulin in the Nordic countries.This marked the beginning of the development of world-class diabetes medicine and a subsequent Danish business and export venture. It also led to the establishment of several foundations that, many years later, merged into today’s Novo Nordisk Foundation.
Executive Management
Led by the Foundation’s CEO, our Executive Management is responsible for ensuring that the decisions of the Board of Directors are implemented and for monitoring and following up on the Foundation’s activities.Board of Directors
The Board of Directors of the Foundation has nine members, of which six are elected annually under the Articles of Association, and three are employee board members elected every four years.Employees
Do you need to get hold of one of our colleagues in the Foundation? Click here to see our contact list.
Values
We award grants based on three established values:
Goals and values
We strive for a purpose-driven work culture where individuals and teams are
encouraged to bring new innovative ideas to life.
We are ready to take risks and committed to learning from whenever we do not
succeed.
We strive for excellence and quality and we believe that making a difference and
creating a better society can only be achieved if great minds work together.
We dare to dream that we can help change the world and that we can achieve this in
partnerships with others.
We strive to drive positive change in society in order to fulfil our vision.
We seek to continuously develop our skills, challenge ourselves and remain curious in
order to excel in a changing world.
We bring together colleagues and external stakeholders in order to realise the full
potential of our projects.
We are devoted to following up on our projects in the long term, while remaining
adaptable to changing circumstances.
We are always accountable for what we do, while respecting the views of others.
We recognise that time is of the essence in the fight against big challenges, so we
ensure early engagement of colleagues and stakeholders in the best possible way.
We acknowledge that we have a unique potential to help improve people’s lives and
our society, and as a consequence hereof, we also have a great responsibility to make
the best use of this mandate.
We always pursue an open dialogue internally, as well as externally. Being curious
about other people’s views and always open to challenge our own understanding of
things is essential to evolve our learning company culture.
