Novo Nordisk Foundation

Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen was appointed as CEO of the Novo Nordisk Foundation in March 2021.

Novo Nordisk

Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen joined Novo Nordisk in 1991 as Head of Growth Hormone Research. In 1994, he was appointed Senior Vice President of Diabetes R&D, and in November 2000 he became Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer. In this capacity, he was responsible for global drug and device research, CMC and global development, medical affairs, regulatory and safety within Novo Nordisk. During this tenure, he oversaw the development and approval of more than 20 medicinal products.

Other positions and management duties

Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen is currently a member of the board of BB Biotech AG. He has been chairman of the board of the University of Copenhagen as well as President of the Danish Academy of Technical Sciences, and served on the editorial boards of several international, peer-reviewed journals. In addition to this, he has been Adjunct Professor of Pharmacology at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen since 2000.

Education

1991: DSc (Veterinary Science), the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark)

1989: PhD, the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark

1986: DVM, the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen

Contact

PA Heidi Toft
[email protected]
+45 3079 0250

Novo Nordisk Foundation

Søren Nedergaard joined the Novo Nordisk Foundation in March 2021 as the Chief of Staff and was appointed as the COO in august 2021.

Career in Science, Higher Education & Innovation

Prior to joining the Novo Nordisk Foundation, Søren Nedergaard served as Director of the Rector’s office at the University of Copenhagen where his responsibilities included counselling the Rector and Executive Management and the University’s Board of Directors, implementation of the university’s strategy and supporting collaboration across faculties on the development of the university.

Søren has held various positions under the Ministry of Higher Education and Science during 2001-2018, including as Head of Division for Policy and Coordination in the Permanent Secretary’s Department, and Head of Division for Higher Education.

He had a posting from 2006-2009 as the first Technology & Research Attaché at the newly established Innovation Centre Denmark in Silicon Valley (US) working to create ties between universities in the Bay area and Denmark. Søren Nedergaard was the Director for the Association of University Colleges working with rectors and colleges to support the development of the training of teachers, nurses, and other health care and welfare sector professionals in Denmark.

Other positions and management duties

At the University of Copenhagen Søren was the university’s Senior Officer in the European University Alliance LERU and the global university alliance IARU.

From 2018-2021 he was a member of the Board of Greve Gymnasium including a period as acting Chairman of the Board.

Education

Søren Nedergaard holds a BSc and MSc in Political Science from Aarhus University, Denmark.

Contact

Contact PA

Erika Söderberg Johnsson was appointed as Chief Financial Officer of the Novo Nordisk Foundation in November 2023.

Prior experience

Erika Söderberg Johnsson has a broad financial, strategy and operational background from more than 20 years of CFO experience in life science companies, Biotage AB (2012-2020) Karo Bio AB (2007-2011), Affibody AB (2005-2007) and Global Genomics AB (2002-2005). Most recently before joining Novo Nordisk Foundation she was Senior Advisor to the investment company Kinnevik AB (2022-2023) where she also was CFO (2020-2022). Before she took on her first CFO assignment in 2002, she worked for 10 years in investment banking at SEB. In addition to this, Erika also has extensive board experience with prior board positions in Sectra AB (2007-2017), MedCap AB (2014-2017), Qliro Group AB (2017-2020), and Lunar Group A/S (2020-2023).

Other positions and management duties

Erika Söderberg Johnsson is currently a member of the board of directors of Saab AB, Camurus AB, and Marley Spoon AG.

Education

MSc in Business and Economics, Stockholm School of Economics

Contact

PA Maia Cecille McCarthy
[email protected]
+45 2573 2204

Responsible for the Novo Nordisk Foundation’s grant management, including:

• Management and organisational development of the Grant Management Team
• Establishment of the Grant Management Team as the point of entry for applicants and grant holders
• Preparation of grant agreements and follow-up on active grants
• Ongoing development and implementation of grant management processes, internally as well as externally

Joined the foundation in 2021.

Contact
[email protected]

Contact PA
PA & Team Coordinator Gunnar Näsman
[email protected]
+45 2444 4405

Head of Obesity and Nutritional Sciences, one of the Foundation’s Programme Areas, and member of the Executive Leadership Team.

Came with a background of several years as professor and department head at University of Copenhagen, and extensive international research activities. In charge of developing activities and awarding grants within the obesity and nutrition area. The area covers prevention and treatment of overweight and obesity and ensuing complications; prevention of disease via nutrition, exercise, and life style changes within wellbeing, stress, sleep, etc.; dietary and nutritional therapy of medical, surgical and mental health conditions, where food, meals and nutrition is a component; and lastly nutrition and health related aspects of the green transition.

Activities include:

• Developing and establishing ‘Centre for Childhood Health’ in collaboration with the Ministry of Health – a new national centre promoting healthy weight and wellbeing through collaborative research, innovation and development of evidence based interventions and prevention efforts with a focus on children and their families.
• The lighthouse project ’LightCOM’ – a partnership project focusing on treatment of obesity in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry, Business and Financial Affairs, the Capital Region of Denmark (Hvidovre Hospital), University of Copenhagen, University of Oxford, and a number of municipalities.
• The Healthy Weight Alliance – an alliance with more than 40 members, mobilizing partners with different types of expertise, who work to form a common agenda on how to best prevent obesity among children and young people in Denmark.

Joined the Foundation in 2020

Contact
PA Eva Mechlenburg-Vrou
[email protected]
+45 4172 7942

Overall responsible for the Novo Nordisk Foundation’s distributions and activities within natural science education and outreach, within research in art and art history, and within social science research related to the green transition.

• Responsible for strategic initiatives and grants in open competition within education and science communication as well as art and art historical research
• Responsible for grants within interdisciplinary education and social sciences related to the green transition
• Contact with stakeholders within the above areas

Joined the foundation in 2015.

Contact
[email protected]
+45 3067 4837

Contact PA
PA and Team Coordinator Malene Gildberg
[email protected]
+45 2213 9172

Responsible for leading the activities in the Biotech area that covers biological solutions for agriculture, food systems and biomanufacturing.

• He has been Professor of Biomass and Bioenergy at Copenhagen University (~20 years).
• Claus Felby has a long academic and industrial career as researcher and professor. He has led large research programmes and is the inventor on several patents.
• His previous work spans fundamental research on enzymes and microorganisms, industrial process development and scaling, international advisory committees and environmental impact assessment.

Joined the Foundation in 2019.

Overall responsibility for the Novo Nordisk Foundation’s development and implementation of research and development programmes within global health, humanitarian response and inequality in health.

• Responsible for strategic initiatives and grants in open competition within inequity in health and global health, as well as humanitarian and emergency response
• Responsible for the development of partnerships with academic institutions, authorities and civil society organizations in Denmark and abroad
• Contributes to the globalisation of the Foundation’s activities

Joined the Foundation in 2022.

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Senior PA and Team Coordinator Trine Barenkopf
[email protected]
+45 2888 1991

Overall responsible for the establishment and allocation of Novo Nordisk Foundation’s grants and activities within natural sciences, technical sciences, and interdisciplinary research, including the areas of quantum and data science. The activities include:

• Strategic initiatives such as the Novo Nordisk Foundation’s Quantum Computing Programme (NQCP), Quantum Foundry Copenhagen, DCAI, and the Challenge programmes within natural and technical sciences.
• Competitive grants, such as the NERD Programme, Project Grants, the recruitment programmes RECRUIT and Start Packages, as well as the foundation’s open competition programmes within interdisciplinary research, data science, and infrastructure.
• Collaboration with stakeholders in the national and international research landscape, including international universities and companies.

Joined the Foundation in 2019.

Contact
[email protected]

Contact PA
Senior Manager, PA Pernille Julø Risegaard
[email protected]
+45 3527 6603

Head of the Novo Nordisk Foundation’s Infectious Diseases Programme area.

• Support the development and implementation of new strategic initiatives and research programs within Infectious Diseases.
• Develop partnerships and contribute to the global visibility and impact of the foundation’s activities within Infectious Diseases.

Joined the Foundation in 2022.

Contact
[email protected]

Contact PA
PA & Team Coordinator Susan Nielsen
[email protected]

Head of Medical Science, one of the Foundation’s Programme Areas, and it’s three departments BioMedicine, Clinical Medicine, and Cardiovascular Medicine, and member of the Executive Leadership Team.

In charge of the Novo Nordisk Foundation activities relating to open calls within the medical sciences and strategic initiatives such as the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, the Danish National Genome Center, the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Genomic Mechanisms of Disease, the Novo Nordisk Foundation reNew Center for Stem Cell Medicine, REACT, Microbiome Health Initiative, the Novo Nordisk Foundation Cellerator, the seven Steno Diabetes Centers in Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands, the Danish Diabetes and Endocrine Academy, and the Danish Cardiovascular Academy.

Joined the Foundation in 2020.

Contact
Senior PA, Charlotte Hinge
[email protected]
+45 2620 4771

Responsible for activities within the Novo Nordisk Foundation regarding innovation and entrepreneurship.

• Mikkel has been with the Foundation since 2016, where he drives activities in innovation and entrepreneurship. His team is a critical bridge between scientific programme areas, incubators (e.g. BII) and the early commercial activities of Novo Seeds.
• Mikkel drives activities in innovation and entrepreneurship. His team is a critical bridge between scientific programme areas, incubators (e.g. BII) and the early commercial activities of Novo Seeds.
• Mikkel has a role in boosting the innovation and start-up ecosystem through diverse funding instruments (pre-seed investment)

Joined the Foundation in 2016.

Contact
[email protected]

Contact PA
PA & Team Coordinator Louise Hindenburg
[email protected]
+45 3142 6288

Responsible for Legal function in the Novo Nordisk Foundation and Board secretariat in the Novo Nordisk Foundation and Novo Holdings A/S.

Attorney.

Joined the Foundation in 2023.

Head of Corporate Affairs in the Novo Nordisk Foundation and Novo Holdings.

• Responsible for internal and external communication activities
• Responsible for stakeholder relations of the Foundation and Novo Holdings
• Responsible for public affairs in the Foundation and Novo Holdings

Joined the Foundation in 2016.

Stine Fehmerling is the Chief People Officer/Senior Vice President of People & Organisation at the Novo Nordisk Foundation. She has led strategic HR agendas in organisational development, M&A’s, cultural transformations, globalisation, leadership development, L&D, talent acquisition, talent management and much more. Stine has been an advisory member of The Diversity Council in the Confederation of Danish Industry since 2020.

Previously, Stine also led Coloplast’s Inclusion & Diversity strategy and as a managing Director for Aperian Global she has designed global talent and leadership development solutions for major Global 500 clients in the EMEA region. She is an experienced leader, HR professional, consultant, facilitator, and coach specializing in global leadership, DEI, cultural transformations and virtual global collaborations.

Contact PA
PA & Team Coordinator Mia Hauge Linders
[email protected]
+45 2277 8550

Responsible for the Foundation’s impact management, evaluation analyses, CSRD, data and impact reporting, including:

• Impact measurement and monitoring (“impact assessment strategy”)
• Reporting on the Foundation’s grants and grant-giving policy
• CSR reporting
• Data warehouse and reporting to the Foundation

Joined the Foundation in 2014.

Contact
[email protected]
+45 3067 4826

Contact PA
PA Christa Clayton Winther
[email protected]
+45 2063 2668

Overall responsible for financial management of funds for the Novo Nordisk Foundation.

The finance department’s responsibilities include:

• Financial oversight and management of granting activities
• Project portfolio planning
• Planning and analysis of operational costs and efficiency
• Partnering with programme areas to qualify funding of projects

Contact PA
PA Mia Vedel Meinfeldt
[email protected]
+45 9351 0838

Responsible for supporting the Novo Nordisk Foundation and Novo Holdings with public affairs activities across program and investment areas.

• In charge of the public affairs team.
• The public affairs team covers activities in Denmark, the EU and globally. Currently, the team has presence in Copenhagen and Brussels.
• Contact with a broad range of stakeholders relevant to the portfolio of the Novo Nordisk Foundation and Novo Holdings.

Joined the foundation in 2016.

Contact
[email protected]
+45  3067 4864

Overall responsible for Global Compensation and Benefit, P&O Data Analytics, HR systems and system support, P&O Legal, Global Mobility and P&O Operational Service & Support in Novo Nordisk Foundation in Denmark HQ as well as Novo Nordisk Foundation global offices and in Novo Nordisk Foundation Affiliates.

• Responsible for the Global Rewards strategy, structure and annual rewards processes in the foundation
• Responsible for designing our service delivery model for P&O Operation service and support and for delivering P&O Operational support to our organisation
• Responsible for develop and design the P&O set up of new affiliates and international offices related employment conditions and to compensation and benefits

Contact
[email protected]

Contact PA
PA & Team Coordinator Mia Hauge Linders
[email protected]

Responsible for the Foundation’s communication with the media, including coordinating requests for interviews with the Foundation’s spokespersons.

Responsible for developing news stories about the Foundation’s activities, including publications and films.

Joined the Foundation in 2012.

Contact
[email protected]
+45 3067 4805

Overall responsible for developing and executing of New Headquarter Building for Novo Nordisk Foundation.

• Setting up the overall execution strategy for the building project.
• Contracting  and collaboration with external partners for design and construction.
• Secure that goals for quality, sustainability, time schedule and economy are met.

Joined the foundation January 2023.

Contact
[email protected]
+45 5161 6465

Drives strategic partnerships with world-leading foundations, universities and other public and private stakeholders. Plays a critical role in strengthening the Foundation’s role as a well-respected and trusted collaborator globally.

Joined the Foundation in 2023.

Contact
[email protected]
+45 2072 5518

Responsible for the Novo Nordisk Foundation’s and Novo Holdings’ digital communication activities as well as online and offline design and branding.

• Responsible for the Novo Nordisk Foundation’s digital channels, including websites and social media.
• Responsible for Novo Holding’s digital channels, including websites and social media.
• Responsible for the overall online and offline design in the Novo Nordisk Fonden and Novo Holdings.
• Responsible for digital campaigns and branding of the Novo Nordisk Foundation and Novo Holdings as well as underlying activities and new projects.

Employed in the foundation since 2018.

Contact
[email protected]
+45 2715 7075

Responsible for the Novo Nordisk Foundation’s research activities within fundamental natural and technical sciences, as well as technologies for climate change mitigation. Activities include:

• Research grants in open competition within natural and technical sciences, as well as researcher recruitment programmes.
• Strategic initiatives within fundamental natural science research and climate change mitigation technologies.
• Contact with stakeholders within the areas above.

Joined the Foundation in 2019.

Contact
[email protected]
+45 2023 1552

Responsible for leading the Novo Nordisk Foundation’s team of lawyers and in close collaboration with the General Counsel responsible for the legal efforts and direction of the Novo Nordisk Foundaton.

Joined the Foundation in 2025.

Contact
[email protected]
+45 2682 2071

Responsible for the Partnership for Education of Health Professionals (PEP) and other global health initiatives.

Responsible for the establishment and management of Novo Nordisk Foundation Brach Offices in India and Kenya.

Joined the foundation in 2017

Contact
[email protected]
+45 3067 4856

Contact
[email protected]

Contact PA
PA & Team Coordinator Mia Vedel Meinfeldt
[email protected]
+45 9351 0838

Responsible for the Novo Nordisk Foundation’s activities within data science and quantum technologies. Activities include:

• Research grants in open competition within data science.
• Strategic research initiatives within data science and quantum technologies, development of the respective ecosystems.
• Contact with stakeholders within the areas above.

Joined the Foundation in 2018.

Contact
[email protected]
+45 2798 8551

Responsible for the Corporate IT department at the Novo Nordisk Foundation as well as several subsidiaries.

Joined the Foundation in 2017.

Contact
[email protected]
+45 2682 6179

Contact PA
PA & Team Coordinator Christa Clayton Winther
[email protected]
+45 2063 2668

Overall responsible for the Novo Nordisk Foundation’s Cardiovascular Medicine department (part of Medical Science) and activities that relate to cardiovascular disease.

• Responsible for large initiatives focusing on cardiovascular disease, including epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular conditions
• Responsible for contacts with external collaborations and stakeholders such as professional organisations and research groups that are active in the cardiovascular field

Joined the foundation in December 2022.

Contact
[email protected]
+45 2478 3165

Contact PA
PA & Team Coordinator Susanne Louise Petersen
[email protected]
+45 2069 5948

Overall responsible for the Novo Nordisk Foundation’s engagement with humanitarian partners working within the health sector and/or food systems transformation in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and in acute emergency situations.

• Responsible for strategic initiatives and partnerships focused at creating positive humanitarian and development outcomes for vulnerable populations in LMICs.
• Responsible for partnership and grantmaking via open humanitarian calls and acute responses.
• Contact with partners and stakeholders in the above areas.

Joined the foundation in 2024.

Contact
[email protected]
+45 2064 1038

• Heading the development, management and overview of the NNF Portfolio and the NNF Portfolio Board, warranting strategic alignment of high-quality projects.
• Chairing the committee for unsolicited applications.
• Coordinating leadership meetings between the NNF, universities and Novo Group companies.
• Heading the development and execution of Bioscience Cluster activities to stimulate collaboration and to increase international impact and branding of research in Denmark.

Joined the Foundation in 2018.

Contact
[email protected]
+45 4172 7901

Contact PA
PA Helle Kibsgaard
[email protected]
+45 2223 8790

Responsibility for the Biomanufacturing area incl. utilization of Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing as essential enablers of the green transition towards sustainable living on the planet:

• Carbon Capture and Utilization
• Microbial cell factories, fermentation technology and down-stream processing
• Biosolutions and scaling to impact
• Environmental biotechnology
• Techno-Economic Analysis and Life Cycle Assessment

Joined the Foundation in 2021.

Contact
[email protected]
+45 3077 6977

Responsible for the Novo Nordisk Foundation’s activities within research infrastructure, technology and interdisciplinary research programmes anchored within natural and technical science

• Research grants in open competition within research infrastructure and interdisciplinary research programmes as well as research dissemination activities.
• Strategic initiatives within research infrastructure and technology as well as interdisciplinary initiatives anchored within natural and technical science
• Information meetings on the Novo Nordisk Foundations’s programmes in open competition
• Contact with stakeholders within the areas above

Joined the foundation in 2023.

Contact
[email protected]

Responsible for the foundation’s major building investments (e.g. Establishment of new headquarters for the Novo Nordisk Foundation, the Steno Centres in Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands, facilities for NCQP, NIVI, Cellerator).

In charge of various managerial and operational functions at the foundation.

• Member of the Board – SDCN and SDCA
• Chairman of the Board at the Property Fund LIFE

Joined the foundation in 2015.

Contact
[email protected]
+45 2673 3840

Contact PA
Christa Clayton Winther
[email protected]
+45 2063 2668

Lars Rebien Sørensen serves as Chair of the Board of Novo Holdings A/S, Executive Chair of the Board of Ferring Pharmaceuticals (Switzerland) and Chair of the Advisory Board of Axcel Management A/S. Furthermore, he is a member of the Boards of Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (USA), Essity AB (Sweden) and Jungbunzlauer Suisse AG (Switzerland). Lars Rebien Sørensenserves as Adjunct Professor at the Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen and Adjunct Professor at the Center for Corporate Governance, Copenhagen Business School (CBS).

Board competencies: Managerial experience from a large international company. Extensive knowledge of the Novo Group business standards and practices as well as knowledge of the international pharmaceutical industry. Board work experience.

Lars Rebien Sørensen is considered a non-independent board member, as he is Chair of the Board of Novo Holdings A/S.

Please contact the Chairman via   
Senior PA Trine Sewohl
+45 2065 5135
[email protected]

Lars Henrik Munch serves as Chair of the Board of The Politiken-Foundation and Politiken Holding A/S and as Chair of the Boards of the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Museumsfonden, Louisiana Fonden, BRFfonden, BRFholding A/S, BRFinvest a/s, and Fonden for Håndværkskollegier.

Furthermore, Lars Henrik Munch is a member of the boards of Utzon Center A/S and the KUNSTEN Museum of Modern Art, Aalborg. Lars Henrik Munch is also a member of the World Association of News Publishers (Paris), as well as Chair of the Advisory Board for Master of Management Development, Copenhagen Business School (CBS) and Vice Chair of the Board of Axcelfuture. Lars Henrik Munch serves as Adjunct Professor at the Department of Organisation, CBS.

Board competencies: Experience with society and social conditions, art and culture, media and board work.

Lars Henrik Munch is considered an independent board member

Christopher A. Voigt is the Daniel I.C. Wang Professor of Advanced Biotechnology and Department Head in Biological Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), as well as the co-director of the Synthetic Biology Center at MIT.

Christopher A. Voigt is a founding member of the U.S. National Science Foundation-funded Engineering Biology Research Center, former founding Editorin-Chief of the ACS Synthetic Biology journal, and co-founder of the companies Asimov (therapeutics bio-manufacturing) and Pivot Biotechnologies (agriculture).

Board competencies: Extensive scientific advisory experience. Expert knowledge within synthetic biology and genetic engineering as well as the translation of cutting-edge science into innovations and start-up companies.

Christopher A. Voigt is considered an independent board member.

Employee representative, Environmental Consultant in Novonesis A/S.

Member of the board of the Novo Nordisk Foundation since March 2022. Last elected in March 2022 for a four-year term.

Lars Henrik Fugger is Professor at the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Division of Clinical Neurology, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, UK. He serves as member of the Board of the Alfred Benzon Foundation.

Board competencies: Experience with medical science research, innovation and research management. Experience with research evaluations/authorisations/counselling as well as politics within medical science.

Lars Henrik Fugger is considered a non-independent board member.

Liselotte Højgaard is Clinical Professor in the fields of medicine and technology at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen. She is a member of the Boards of BRFfonden, Die Robert Bosch Stiftung (Germany), and Arvid Nilsson’s Foundation and was member of Kronprins Frederiks og Kronprinsesse Marys Fond. Furthermore, she is a member of the Scientific Council at the European Research Council (ERC).

Board competencies: Experience with medical science research, innovation,and research management. Experience with research evaluations/authorisations/counselling as well as politics within medical science.

Liselotte Højgaard is considered an independent board member.

Employee representative, Quality Auditor in Novo Nordisk A/S.

Member of the board of the Novo Nordisk Foundation since March 2018.  Last elected in March 2022 for a four-year term.

Nana Bule Sejbæk serves as Chair of the National Digital Council and Energy Crisis Staff, and as Chair of the Board of Carbfix. Furthermore, Nana Bule Sejbæk is a member of the boards of Arla Foods and Energinet, and works as an Operating Advisor with Goldman Sachs Asset Management.

Board competencies: Senior Executive experience from a large international Tech company with a proven track record of driving transformation and delivering business growth. Board word experience.

Nana Bule is considered an independent board member

Steen Riisgaard serves as Chair of the Board of New Xellia Group A/S, and as Vice Chair of the Board of Novo Holdings A/S. Steen Riisgaard is a member of the Board of Corbion and Vice Chair of Fugleværnsfonden.

Board competencies: Experience with management in general from a large international company. Knowledge of the Novo Group business standards and practices and extensive knowledge of international biotechnology industry and research within the private sector. Experience with innovation and entrepreneurship.

Steen Riisgaard is considered a non-independent board member, as he is Vice Chair of Novo Holdings A/S and Chair of New Xellia Group A/S.

Employee representative, Electrician in Novo Nordisk A/S.

Member of the board of the Novo Nordisk Foundation since March 2022. Last elected in March 2022 for a four-year term.

Responsible for Legal function in the Novo Nordisk Foundation and Board secretariat in the Novo Nordisk Foundation and Novo Holdings A/S.

Attorney.

Joined the Foundation in 2023.