# Erik Fyrwald

> Erik Fyrwald is the chief executive officer and a board director of International Flavors & Fragrances, having joined in February 2024. A chemical engineer educated at the University of Delaware, he spent 27 years at DuPont before leading Nalco, Univar and Syngenta. His IFF tenure has centered on customer relationships, investment in innovation and simplifying the portfolio, including the announced 2026 agreement to sell Food Ingredients to CVC.

- **Role:** Chief Executive Officer and Board Director at IFF
- **Organizations:** International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF), Council on Competitiveness, Eli Lilly and Company, Syngenta (former CEO), Univar (former CEO), Ecolab (former president), Nalco (former chairman and CEO), DuPont (former executive)
- **From:** West Virginia, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, University of Delaware, Advanced Management Program (executive education), Harvard Business School
- **Known for:** Spent 27 years at DuPont, progressing through technical, manufacturing, commercial and divisional leadership roles., Led Nalco through the period that included the 2008 financial crisis and its subsequent acquisition by Ecolab., Led Syngenta during the 2017 ChemChina acquisition and the 2020 formation of Syngenta Group.

## Career timeline

- **1981** — Graduated from the University of Delaware and joined DuPont.
- **1998** — Completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.
- **2003** — Became Group Vice President of DuPont Agriculture and Nutrition.
- **2008** — Joined Nalco as chairman, president and chief executive officer in February.
- **2011** — Became president of Ecolab following its acquisition of Nalco.
- **2012** — Became CEO of Univar in May.
- **2016** — Became CEO of Syngenta on June 1.
- **2017** — Led Syngenta during completion of the ChemChina acquisition.
- **2020** — Became CEO of the newly formed Syngenta Group.
- **2024** — Became CEO and a board director of IFF on February 6.
- **2025** — Elected chair of the Council on Competitiveness in August.
- **2026** — IFF announced an agreement to sell its Food Ingredients business to CVC, with closing expected by the end of Q2 2027.

## Achievements

- Spent 27 years at DuPont, progressing through technical, manufacturing, commercial and divisional leadership roles.
- Led Nalco through the period that included the 2008 financial crisis and its subsequent acquisition by Ecolab.
- Led Syngenta during the 2017 ChemChina acquisition and the 2020 formation of Syngenta Group.
- Appointed chair of the Council on Competitiveness in 2025.
- At IFF, oversaw the announced 2026 Food Ingredients sale agreement as part of a portfolio simplification strategy.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — At the Barclays Global Consumer Conference, discussed IFF’s restructuring, customer relationships and remaining work to separate Food Ingredients.
- **2026-08** — IFF reported second-quarter continuing-operations sales of $1.95 billion and adjusted operating EBITDA of $408 million; announced an enhanced $2.5 billion share repurchase authorization.
- **2026-05** — IFF agreed to sell its Food Ingredients business to CVC at an approximate $4.3 billion valuation, retaining an approximately 10 percent equity interest; expected closing by the end of Q2 2027, subject to conditions.
- **2025-08** — Elected chair of the Council on Competitiveness.
- **2025-04** — Participated in the opening of IFF’s Citrus Innovation Center at Florida Polytechnic University.

## Links

- Website: https://www.iff.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erik-fyrwald

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/erik-fyrwald
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-21