Crisis at the peak of Novo Nordisk, at one point the most valuable European company. The president and several independent directors resign after a conflict with the majority shareholder.

Novo Nordisk, the Danish company known for its medications aimed at obesity and diabetes, is facing a significant change in leadership. President Helge Lund and six independent directors have announced that they are stepping down due to a conflict with the majority shareholder. This decision comes amid a slowdown in profit growth and a drastic decline of over 55% in shares over the past year, in the face of pressures from American rival Eli Lilly.

Lund mentioned that, following discussions with the foundation, no consensus was reached regarding the future composition of the board, which led to the calling of an extraordinary general meeting on November 14. The foundation proposed five new members, including Lars Rebien Sorensen, former CEO of the company, to take over the leadership of the board. Sorensen denied that these changes would represent a forced removal of the leadership, emphasizing the need for a reconfiguration. He also criticized the former leadership for its delayed reactions to market changes, which led to a restructuring plan involving the elimination of 9,000 jobs. Novo Nordisk's shares fell by 1.6% after the announcement of the resignations. The company had been the most valuable in Europe for about a year and a half, between September 2023 and March 2025.