Lars Rebien Sørensen

Lars Rebien Sørensen (born 10 October 1954) is a Danish businessman and former CEO of the pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk and current chairman of the board at the Novo Nordisk Foundation (from 2018) and Novo Holdings A/S.

Biography

Education Lars Rebien Sørensen was born on 10 October 1954 in Hvidovre, and educated at Brøndby High School and has a bachelor's degree in international finance from the Copenhagen Business School.

Career Sørensen was employed by Novo Nordisk in 1982 within marketing of enzymes, having joined right out of military service. As part of his severance package, Sørensen received a "golden handshake" of 65.7 million DKK (approx. US$10.7 million). His annual salary in 2016 was 22.7 million DKK (approx. US$3.7 million).

He was CEO at Novo Nordisk from 2000 until the end of 2016 and was replaced by Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen at the beginning of 2017.

Sørensen took on the position as chairman at Novo Nordisk Foundation on 1 July 2018. He is also the chairman of the board at Novo Holdings A/S.

Other activities Sørensen joined the life sciences faculty of the University of Copenhagen as an adjunct professor in 2007. They spend a significant part of the year at their home in Tuscany, Italy.

An avid long-distance runner, Sørensen has completed marathons in Berlin and New York City and the 90-kilometre Vasaloppet in Sweden. In 2025, Lars Rebien Sørensen received PwC Denmark's Business Executive of the Year award 2025 . The distinction is presented annually to executives in Danish business who have demonstrated notable leadership, strategic influence, and impact on society.