AAK Annual Report 2019

7 7 lift our capabilities to further strengthen our position as the leading speciality oils and fats provider in the world. The strategic direction will be focused on the oppor- tunities within the specific industries we serve as well as sustainability, health and nutrition. We will step up our focus and investments within Plant-based Foods and develop a Health & Nutrition platform. For Special Nutrition and Chocolate & Confectionery Fats we will invest for continued growth while focusing on optimizing our performance within Bakery and Dairy. Financially, we believe that the strategic direction supports our ambition of an average 10 percent year- over-year operating profit growth combined with a good and consistent earnings per share improvement. As I write this, the ongoing corona pandemic is profoundly impacting people’s health, societies, and business operations across the world. The uncertainty in our industry has increased, especially in the short term. However, in a more long-term perspective, we still see favorable underlying trends in our markets, and we remain prudently optimistic about the future. I’m very proud to be part of the AAK team and the dedicated work I see wherever I go continues to impress me. I would like to thank our customers, shareholders, the Board of Directors, our devoted management team, and all AAK colleagues around the world for your valuable contributions during the past year. Johan Westman, President and CEO