Johan Throne Holst

Johan Throne Holst (7 February 1868 – 13 February 1946), was a Norwegian industrialist and politician for the Liberal Left Party (Frisinnede Venstre). He was the founder of Marabou and CEO of Freia, now owned and operated by Mondelez International.

Biography Throne Holst was born in Trondheim, Norway. He was the son of Johan Martinus Brodtkorb Holst (1829–1913) and Josefa Gørvell (1835–1913).

Throne Holst graduated from Trondheim Cathedral School and attended a trade school in Hamburg (1887–88). He started his business career as a salesman in his father's merchant business in Trondheim. In 1892, Holst bought a recently started chocolate factory in Oslo. Holst built up Freia (Freia Chocolade Fabrik) to be Norway's leading chocolate manufacturer, and a modern workplace, with canteens and its own park for workers, Freiaparken in Oslo. The company was also the first in Norway with its own health care policy, and the first with a 48-hour working week. His son, Harald Throne-Holst was managing director of the Freia chocolate factory from 1948 to 1970 and later CEO.

Johan Throne Holst died during 1946 and was buried at Vår Frelsers gravlund in Oslo. His family retained control over both Marabou and Freia until 1992.

Selected works Industri og industrielle problemer : belyst ved erfaringer fra A/S Freia Chocolade Fabrik (Kristiania: Aschehoug. 1914) Erindringer og refleksjoner. (Oslo: Gyldendal. 1941)