Royal Greenland has named Toke Binzer as its new CEO, effective 1 December.
Royal Greenland has been reorganizing its structure and leadership team in recent months after firing former CEO Susan Arfelt Rajamand in February. Rajamand’s departure came as the company experienced a series of difficult years, including a DKK 255 million (USD 40 million, EUR 34 million) loss in 2023 which former Board Chair Maliina Abelsen called “one of the most challenging in our long history.”
Binzer’s appointment comes on the heels of news that Royal Greenland is restructuring its Newfoundland and Labrador operations Quin-Sea Fisheries, and that Simon Jarding, long-time manager of Quin-Sea would be leaving the company, which would recruit for new leadership.
Royal Greenland also recently announced that Niels Thomsen, who formerly served as deputy chairman of the company’s board, had taken the position of chairperson, and that Abelsen, who held the position since 2022, was stepping down.
Board member and interim CEO Preben Sunke said that it had been an honor to lead the company for a short time.
“I now look forward, together with the rest of the Board, to collaborating with Toke to execute the strategy and restore the economy,” he said.
Nuuk-born Binzer, the company said, has deep roots in Greenland but a global resume. He was most recently the director of Greenlandic telecommunications company Tusass, where he rose from Chief Financial Officer to CEO. He has also served in leadership roles at Copenhagen, Denmark-based healthcare company TDC Group and technology company IBM, and has also lectured at the University of Copenhagen.
Binzer was raised in Nuuk and relocated back to the city in 2022 with his family. Royal Greenland has emphasized his strong personal connection to the area, saying “with his personal anchoring in Greenland, he has a deep understanding of Royal Greenland’s significance–both as one of the country’s largest employers and as a central driving force in the Greenlandic economy.”
“The Board looks forward to the opportunities his experience and leadership style will bring. We share the ambitions of high professionalism, execution power, and a strong anchoring in Greenland," Royal Greenland Board Chair Niels Thomsen said.
