Active and engaged family ownership through generations
Active and engaged family ownership is crucial to the Kirk Kristiansen family. Being an active and engaged owner is about having a deep interest and engagement in how the family enterprises develop, how the enterprises engage with children of all ages as well as stakeholders in general, what the culture is like and how the values are lived and not least - caring for employees.
Family ownership
Active and engaged ownership is about being guardians of how the Kirk Kristiansen family enterprises do business.
To ensure a continued active and engaged family ownership, the Kirk Kristiansen family decided that in each generation one person should be taking the role as the most active owner. The most active owner will, on behalf of the whole family, be close to the LEGO Group, the LEGO Foundation, LEGO Education and KIRKBI. The family agreed that Thomas Kirk Kristiansen should assume this role in the fourth generation.
Furthermore, the family agreed that all owners in each generation are engaged and responsible shareholders as well as ambassadors and culture carriers of the family’s core values. All owners are engaged in different ways in the business of the LEGO Group, KIRKBI and the associated foundations – acting as members of the Board or undertaking representative duties.
Smooth handover between 3rd and 4th generation
In 2016, Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen and Thomas Kirk Kristiansen, who is the most active owner on behalf of the 4th generation, took the first steps in the smooth handover between the 3rd and 4th generation as they swapped roles in the Board of Directors in LEGO A/S, where Thomas Kirk Kristiansen became deputy chairman and Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen became an ordinary board member. On the board of the LEGO Foundation, Thomas Kirk Kristiansen became chairman and Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen deputy chairman.
In the following years, more roles and responsibilities have transitioned from 3rd to 4th generation. Today, Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen is the Chairman of the board of KIRKBI A/S. Thomas Kirk Kristiansen is the Chairman of the Board of LEGO A/S and the LEGO Foundation and a member of the Board of KIRKBI A/S. Agnete Kirk Thinggaard, 4th generation owner, is observer on the board of KIRKBI A/S.
2023 will also mark a milestone. In the spring, Thomas Kirk Kristiansen will take over as Chairman of the Board of KIRKBI A/S from Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen.