AAK President and CEO Arne Frank dies

Frank had been battling cancer.

Arne Frank, ceo of Swedish fats and oils supplier AAK, has died, the company announced Tuesday. Arne Frank_AAK

Frank, who joined AAK as president and ceo in 2010, had been battling cancer, said Mikael Ekdahl, chairman of AAK’s board of directors. He said the board learned of Frank’s passing on Monday.

“Arne will be deeply missed within AAK, both on a personal and professional level,” Ekdahl said. “He has created a very strong organization with many highly skilled and qualified managers.”

The Board of Directors will conduct the search for Frank’s successor. Fredrik Nilsson, the company’s cfo, will continue as acting ceo and president. AAK announced Nilsson would lead the company in an interim capacity in May, when it announced Frank was undergoing medical treatment.

AAK reported earlier this month that operating profit reached $49.68 million in the second quarter of 2017, representing the 26th consecutive quarter the company achieved a record operating profit.

Alyse Thompson has held many positions with BNP Media, first serving as an intern at Candy Industry Magazine in summer 2012. She joined Candy Industry's staff full time as associate editor in August 2016 after a few years at newspapers in West-Central Illinois, becoming managing editor in March 2019. Alyse has also served as managing editor of Cannabis Products Magazine since March 2019. She has bachelor’s degrees in journalism and Spanish from Western Illinois University.