As of August 1st, 2021, Maria Fernanda Souto will join Danfoss to head the new Group Strategy Function. Together with a new, incoming strategy team, she will assist the leadership team in developing and tracking the strategy of Danfoss. Maria comes from a position as Group Vice President Head of Strategy in Kongsberg Gruppen in Norway and 11 years as associate partner in McKinsey & Company.
Increased global focus on energy efficiency and electrification as part of the green transition creates new opportunities for Danfoss. That is the key reason for establishing a new Group Strategy Function in Danfoss as of August 1, 2021. It will be headed by María Fernanda Souto, who will join Danfoss as Senior Vice President at the same time. María Fernanda Souto María will report to Kim Fausing.
The new function
“The new function will play a key role in helping to track and review our strategic priorities as we move forward with our transformation and it is with great pleasure that I welcome María to the team. Her global mindset and vast experience of various industries will be a great asset to Danfoss, supporting our position as a leading supplier of sustainable energy-saving solutions that enables the green transition towards lower CO2 emissions and more electrification,” says Kim Fausing, President & CEO in Danfoss.
María Fernanda Souto
María Fernanda Souto will relocate to Denmark from Norway with her husband and three children
María Fernanda Souto will relocate to Denmark from Norway with her husband and three children, and will work from the Danfoss Headquarters in Denmark.
María Fernanda Souto stated, “I’m excited about joining Danfoss at this fantastic time in the company’s history. I am looking forward to working across this global organization with my new team to assist the leadership team in developing and tracking the strategy, driving the growth supported by the strong tailwinds of electrification, digitalization, and the green transition.”
Years of experience
María Fernanda Souto comes from a position as Group Vice President Head of Strategy in Kongsberg Gruppen in Norway, where she has been responsible for the annual corporate strategy process across the business areas Aerospace & Defense, Maritime, and Digital.
Before that, she was a partner in QVARTZ Management Consulting, in Oslo from 2015-2019 and Associate Partner in McKinsey & Company from 2004-2015, based in Norway, Mexico, and the Netherlands. She holds a Ph.D. of Natural Sciences from the University of Vienna, and a Master of Chemistry from the Universidad de Buenos Aires.
