COWI appoints new Chief People Officer

COWI has appointed Marianne Bie Frydendahl as Chief People Officer and member of the Executive Leadership Team, effective 1 October 2026. In this newly established role, she will lead People and Organisation and innovation across the company.

As COWI continues its transformation and growth journey, the company has appointed an experienced executive to lead its People and Organisation function and strengthen the connection between people, innovation, technology and strategy. In addition to leading the People and Organisation team, Marianne Bie Frydendahl will oversee COWI's Innovation team.

The new role will help ensure that the organisation has the capabilities needed for continued development and growth. The Chief People Officer reports directly to CEO Jens Højgaard Christoffersen.

Marianne Bie Frydendahl holds an MSc in Chemical Engineering from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and brings more than three decades of leadership experience from Novonesis and Novozymes. Most recently, as VP of Strategy, Integration & Sustainability, and previously as VP of People & Organisation, she played a key role in the integration and establishment of Novonesis following one of Denmark’s largest mergers. In her People & Organisation leadership role at Novozymes, she led the transformation of P&O from a traditional HR support function into a strategic, global and data-driven organisation.  

"We have a clear ambition to connect our people agenda more closely with innovation, technology and our professional disciplines. I am, therefore, delighted to welcome Marianne to COWI. Her background, leadership experience and track record will be a great asset as we continue to grow and develop our organisation and create value for our customers and society," says Jens Højgaard Christoffersen, CEO of COWI.

"My career has centred on the intersection of people, strategy and execution. Building strong organisations is increasingly about combining people, technology and innovation to enable performance and growth. I am excited to join COWI and look forward to contributing to the company's continued success and long-term ambitions," says Marianne Bie Frydendahl.