In this episode of the Danish-language podcast Den Nye Standard, we’re joined by Henrik Lund, CEO of the plant-based food company NATURLI’. With fresh thinking and the nerve to challenge the way Danes eat, Henrik has set a new standard in an otherwise conservative market.
After a short introduction to Henrik, we talk about customer service and putting the customer at the centre. According to Henrik, the essence of his work is a focus on service, because at NATURLI’ the customer matters most of all. We get into co-creation, and Henrik explains how consumers in the Plantebevægelsen community help create new products.
In recent years, Denmark has been through a food revolution, and Henrik talks about using NATURLI’ and Denmark as a growth engine for sustainable food abroad. In particular, Henrik has used his voice actively across digital channels to introduce ordinary Danes to green innovation, where NATURLI’ has positioned itself as a frontrunner. So how do you actually shift old habits and show that plant-based doesn’t “hurt” and isn’t just for vegans?
When Danes change their habits, companies have to keep up. Henrik explains how, as CEO, he gets the employees at NATURLI’ to keep pace with constant change. According to Henrik, NATURLI’s approach is to be chaos pilots. Nothing about how they work is linear or structured, and we hear more about how NATURLI’ works to keep up with consumers’ shifting needs.
That brings us to Henrik’s title, CKO (Chief Karma Officer). Did he choose from the start to be “the fun CEO”, or did being the brand’s entertaining public face come with the title? Henrik introduces us to the idea of “empathetic leadership”, which leads us into a conversation about culture. Because at NATURLI’, culture is crucial to how the company develops. Finally, we take a peek at NATURLI’s plans for the future and what lies ahead for the company’s growth story. Maybe Americans should be introduced to spreadable butter? As always, we look at the flip side, and to our surprise, Henrik Lund may have found a golden route around the downsides.