International Flavors & Fragrances 10-K 2023-12-31
Filed 2024-02-28. 24 sections, 609K characters. Original on sec.gov · Markdown · JSON
Cover and table of contents
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
| ☑ | ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023
OR
| ☐ | TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 | ||||
| For the transition period from _______ to _______ |
Commission File Number 1-4858
INTERNATIONAL FLAVORS & FRAGRANCES INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| New York | 13-1432060 | ||||
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
521 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019-2960
200 Powder Mill Road, Wilmington, DE 19803-2907
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code**)**
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (212) 765-5500
SECURITIES REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OF THE ACT:
| Title of Each Class | Trading Symbol | Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered | ||||||||||||
| Common Stock, par value 12 1/2¢ per share | IFF | New York Stock Exchange | ||||||||||||
| 1.750% Senior Notes due 2024 | IFF 24 | New York Stock Exchange | ||||||||||||
| 1.800% Senior Notes due 2026 | IFF 26 | New York Stock Exchange |
SECURITIES REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(g) OF THE ACT: None
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☑ No ☐
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐ No ☑
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☑ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☑ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
| Large accelerated filer | ☑ | Accelerated filer | ☐ | ||||||||
| Non-accelerated filer | ☐ | Smaller reporting company | ☐ | ||||||||
| Emerging growth company | ☐ |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by checkmark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☑
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☑
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to § 240.10D-1(b). ☑
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☑
The aggregate market value of the voting stock held by non-affiliates of the Registrant was $20,313,097,570 as of June 30, 2023.
As of February 21, 2024, there were 255,314,909 shares of the registrant’s common stock, par value 12 1/2¢ per share, outstanding.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Portions of the registrant’s proxy statement for the 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the “IFF 2024 Proxy Statement”) are incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K.
INTERNATIONAL FLAVORS & FRAGRANCES INC.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART I
In this report, we use the terms “IFF,” “the Company,” “we,” “us” and “our” to refer to International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. and its subsidiaries.
Item 1. BUSINESS.
We are a leading creator and manufacturer of food, beverage, health & biosciences, scent and pharma solutions and complementary adjacent products, including cosmetic active and natural health ingredients, which are used in a wide variety of consumer products. Our products are sold principally to manufacturers of dairy, meat, beverages, snacks, savory, sweet, baked goods and other foods, personal care products, soaps and detergents, cleaning products, perfumes and cosmetics, dietary supplements, food protection, infant and elderly nutrition, functional food, pharmaceutical and oral care products. As a result, we hold global leadership positions in the Food & Beverage, Home & Personal Care and Health & Wellness markets, and across key Tastes, Textures, Scents, Nutrition, Enzymes, Cultures, Soy Proteins, Pharmaceutical Excipients and Probiotics categories.
Sales in 2023 were approximately $11.479 billion. Based on 2023 sales, approximately 46% of sales were to global consumer products companies and approximately 54% of sales were to small and mid-sized companies. During 2023, our 25 largest customers accounted for approximately 32% of sales. In 2023, no customer accounted for more than 10% of sales.
Our business is geographically diverse, with sales in the U.S. representing approximately 28% of sales in 2023. No other country represented more than 7% of sales.
Our Product Offerings
Our business currently consists of four segments: Nourish, Health & Biosciences, Scent and Pharma Solutions.
Nourish
As a leading creator of ingredients and solutions, we help our customers deliver on the promise of healthy and delicious foods and drinks that appeal to consumers. We create products in our regional creative centers which allows us to satisfy local customer preferences, while also helping to ensure regulatory compliance and production standards. We develop thousands of different Nourish offerings, most of which are tailor-made, and we continually develop new ingredients and solutions to meet changing consumer preferences and customer needs.
Our Nourish segment consists of an innovative and broad portfolio of natural-based ingredients to enhance nutritional value, texture and functionality in a wide range of beverage, dairy, bakery, confectionery and culinary applications and consists of Ingredients, Flavors and Food Designs.
Ingredients include a diversified portfolio across natural and plant-based specialty food ingredients derived from herbs and plants that provide texturizing solutions used in the food industry, food protection solutions used in food and beverage products, as well as specialty soy and pea protein with value-added formulations, emulsifiers and sweeteners. Natural food protection ingredients consist of natural antioxidants and anti-microbials used for natural food preservation and shelf-life extension for beverages, cosmetic and healthcare products, pet food and feed additives.
Flavors include a range of flavor compounds and natural taste solutions that are ultimately used by our customers in savory products (soups, sauces, meat, fish, poultry, snacks, etc.), beverages (juice drinks, carbonated or flavored beverages, spirits, etc.), sweets (bakery products, candy, cereal, chewing gum, etc.), and dairy products (yogurt, ice cream, cheese, etc.). Flavors also include value-added spices and seasoning ingredients for meat, food service, convenience, alternative protein and culinary products.
Food Designs include savory solution products such as spices, sauces, marinades and mixtures. During the fourth quarter of 2022, we announced our entry into an agreement to sell a portion of the Savory Solutions business and completed the divestiture on May 31, 2023. Additionally, Food Designs provide inclusion products that help with taste and texture by, among other things, combining flavorings with fruit, vegetables and other natural ingredients for a wide range of food products, such as health snacks, baked goods, cereals, pastries, ice cream and other dairy products.
Health & Biosciences
Our Health & Biosciences segment consists of the development and production of an advanced biotechnology-derived portfolio of enzymes, food cultures, probiotics and specialty ingredients for food and non-food applications. Among many other applications, this biotechnology-driven portfolio includes cultures for use in fermented foods such as yogurt, cheese and fermented beverages, probiotic strains, many with documented clinical health claims for use as dietary supplements and through industrial fermentation the production of enzymes and microorganisms that provide product and process performance benefits to household detergents, animal feed, ethanol production and brewing. Health & Biosciences is comprised of Health, Cultures & Food Enzymes, Home & Personal Care, Animal Nutrition and Grain Processing.
Health provides ingredients for dietary supplements, functional food and beverage, specialized nutrition and pharma.
Cultures & Food Enzymes provides products that aim to serve the global demand for healthy, natural, clean label and fermented food for fresh dairy, cheese, bakery and brewing products. Such products contribute to extended shelf life, stability, taste and texture, helping our customers to improve their product offerings. The business’s enzyme solutions also allow our customers to provide low sugar, high fiber and lactose-free dairy products.
Home & Personal Care produces enzymes for laundry and dishwashing detergents, cleaning and textiles to help enhance the product and process performance of products in the fabric and home care, textiles and industrials and personal care markets. In 2023, we introduced patented enzymatic polymers that are renewable, biodegradable alternatives to functional ingredients used in home cleaning and beauty care products.
Animal Nutrition produces feed enzymes and animal health solutions that help to improve nutrition, welfare, performance and sustainability of livestock animal farming.
Grain Processing produces yeasts and enzymes for biofuel production and carbohydrate processing.
Scent
Our Scent segment creates fragrance compounds, fragrance ingredients and cosmetic ingredients that are integral elements in the world’s finest perfumes and best-known household and personal care products. Consumer insights science and creativity are at the heart of our Scent business, and, along with our unique portfolio of natural and synthetic ingredients, global footprint, innovative technologies and know-how, and customer intimacy, we believe make us a market leader in scent products. The Scent segment is comprised of Fragrance Compounds, Fragrance Ingredients and Cosmetic Ingredients.
Fragrance Compounds are unique and proprietary combinations of multiple fragrance ingredients that are ultimately used by our customers in their consumer goods. Our creative and commercial teams within fragrance compounds are organized into two broad categories: fine fragrances and consumer fragrances.
Our perfumers harness creativity and leverage our innovative captive molecules, sustainable natural ingredients obtained with innovative processes, biotech ingredients, data science, and consumer insights to create unique and inspiring fragrances driving consumer preferences.
Our fine fragrances focus on perfumes and colognes, creating global and local namesake brands, from high luxury to mass market, from market leading to ultra-niche products.
Our consumer fragrances include three end-use categories of products:
-
Fabric Care, including laundry detergents, fabric softeners and specialty laundry products;
-
Home Care, including household cleaners, dishwashing detergents and air fresheners; and
-
Body Care, including personal wash, hair care and toiletries products.
Fragrance Ingredients are natural and synthetic, and active and functional ingredients that are used internally and sold to third parties, including competitors, for use in the preparation of compounds. While the principal role of our fragrance ingredients facilities is to support our fragrance compounds business, we utilize excess manufacturing capacity to manufacture and sell certain fragrance ingredients to third parties, enabling us to leverage our fixed costs while maintaining the security of our supply for our perfumers and ultimately our customers. Flavor ingredients include natural flavor extracts, specialty botanical extracts, distillates, essential oils, citrus products, aroma chemicals and natural gums and resins. Such ingredients are used for food, beverage and flavors, and are often sold directly to food and beverage manufacturers who use them in producing consumer products. During the fourth quarter of 2022, we announced our entry into an agreement to sell our Flavor Specialty Ingredients business and completed the divestiture on August 1, 2023.
Cosmetic Ingredients designs, develops, manufactures and markets innovative ingredients for the cosmetics and personal care industry, while offering active ingredients, functional ingredients, and delivery systems. During the fourth quarter of 2023, we entered into an agreement to sell our Cosmetic Ingredients business and expect the divestiture to be completed in the first quarter of 2024.
Pharma Solutions
Our Pharma Solutions segment produces, among other things, a vast portfolio of cellulosics and seaweed-based pharmaceutical excipients, used to improve the functionality and delivery of active pharmaceutical ingredients, including controlled or modified drug release formulations, and enabling the development of more effective pharmaceutical finished dosage formulations. Our excipients are used in prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals and dietary supplements. Our Pharma Solutions products also serve a variety of other specialty and industrial end-uses including coatings, inks, electronics, agriculture and consumer products.
Consumer Insights, Research and Product Development Process
The markets in which we compete require constant innovation to remain competitive. Consumer preferences tend to drive change in our markets, and as science evolves and sustainability continues to be a key factor to customers and consumers, we must continue to strengthen our research and development platforms and adapt our capabilities to provide differentiated products.
Consumer Insights
We believe that the first step to creating an innovative and unique product experience begins with gaining insight into the consumer and emerging industry trends. By developing a deep understanding of what consumers value and prefer through our consumer insight programs, we are better able to focus our research and development and creative efforts.
Our consumer science, insight and marketing teams interpret trends, monitor product launches, analyze quantitative market data and conduct numerous consumer interviews annually.
Based on this information, we develop innovative and proprietary programs to evaluate potential products that enable us to understand the emotional connections between a prospective product and the consumer. We believe this ability to pinpoint the likelihood of a product’s success translates into stronger brand equity, resulting in increased returns and greater market share gains for our customers as well as for IFF.
Research and Development
We consider our research and development infrastructure to be one of our key competencies and critical to our ability to provide differentiated products to our customers. We have strong product and application development pipelines built upon a global network that includes research and development, as well as regulatory and product stewardship capabilities.
We focus and invest substantial resources in the research and development of new and innovative molecules, compounds, formulations and technologies and the application of these to our customers’ products. Using the knowledge gained from our consumer insights programs and business unit needs, we strategically focus our resources around key research and development platforms that address or anticipate consumer needs or preferences. Our innovation-based platforms are aligned with key consumer insight-led growth themes: improving home and personal care, empowering wellbeing and healthy lives, transforming food systems and accelerating climate solutions. By aligning our capabilities and resources to these platforms, we ensure the proper support and focus for each program so that our products can be further developed and eventually accepted for commercial application.
As of December 31, 2023, we have 880 granted U.S. patents and 431 pending U.S. patent applications, as well as numerous other granted patents and pending patent applications around the world. We have developed many unique molecules and delivery systems for our customers that are used as the foundations of successful products around the world.
Our principal basic research and development activities are located in Union Beach, New Jersey; Wilmington, Delaware; Palo Alto, California; Brabrand, Denmark; and Leiden, The Netherlands. At those locations, our scientists and application engineers, while collaborating with our other research and development centers around the world, support the:
-
discovery of new materials;
-
development of new technologies, such as delivery systems;
-
creation of new compounds; and
-
enhancement of existing ingredients and compounds.
As of December 31, 2023, we employed approximately 3,700 people globally in research and development activities.
Creative Application
Through our global network of creative centers and application laboratories, we create or adapt the basic Nourish, Health & Biosciences, Scent and Pharma Solutions products that we have developed in the research and development process to commercialize for use in our customers’ consumer products. Our global creative teams consist of marketing, consumer science, consumer insights and technical application experts, from a wide range of cultures and nationalities. In close partnership with our customers’ product development groups, our creative teams create the experiences that our customers are seeking in order to satisfy consumer demands in each of their respective markets.
New product development is driven by a variety of sources including requests from our customers, who are in need of specific products for use in a new or modified consumer product, or as a result of internal initiatives stemming from our consumer insights program. Our product development team works in partnership with our scientists and researchers to optimize the consumer appeal and relevance of our offerings. We use a collaborative process between our researchers, our product development team and our customers to perfect our offerings so they are ready to be included in the final consumer product.
In addition to creating new products, our researchers and product development teams advise customers on ways to improve their existing products by moderating or substituting current ingredients with more readily accessible or less expensive materials enhancing their yield, or helping to increase or improve functionality of their formulations. This often results in creating a better value proposition for our customers.
Most of our formulas are treated as trade secrets and remain our proprietary assets. Our business is not materially dependent upon any individual patent, trademark or license.
Center for Commercial Excellence
Our Center for Commercial Excellence utilizes a holistic and centralized approach towards commercial execution by, among other things:
-
Unlocking value through improved customer experience based on market, customer and pricing insights, digital and advanced analytics, sales enablement, and marketing excellence;
-
Building further sales force capability to deliver growth targets, own the end-to-end process, and deliver sales synergies using CRM systems, pricing tools, segmentation models, commercial opportunity management, account plan development, training, and incentive plans;
-
Evaluating and driving new business development opportunities, including analyzing potential markets, assessing client needs, and identifying competitor response strategies; and
-
Strengthening collaboration across divisions by collecting and disseminating best practices and anchoring business decisions in data-driven insights.
Supply Chain
We strive to provide our customers with consistent and quality products on a timely and cost-effective basis by managing all aspects of the supply chain, from raw material sourcing through manufacturing, quality assurance, regulatory compliance and distribution.
Procurement
In connection with the manufacture of our products, we use natural and synthetic ingredients. As of December 31, 2023, we purchased approximately 24,000 different raw materials sourced from an extensive network of domestic and international suppliers and distributors.
Natural ingredients are derived from flowers, fruits and other botanical products, as well as from plant, animal and marine products, and commodity crops like wheat, corn and soy. They contain varying numbers of organic chemicals that are responsible for the fragrance, flavor, antioxidant properties and nutrition of the natural products. Natural products are purchased directly from farms or in processed and semi-processed forms. Some natural products are used in compounds in the state in which they are obtained and others are used after further processing. Natural products, together with various chemicals, are also used as raw materials for the manufacture of synthetic ingredients by chemical processes.
In order to ensure our supply of raw materials, achieve favorable pricing and provide timely transparency regarding inflationary trends to our customers, we continue to focus on:
-
purchasing under contract with fixed or formula-based pricing for set time periods;
-
entering into hedging for raw materials we purchase that can be hedged against liquid commodity assets;
-
entering into supplier relationships to gain access to supplies we would not otherwise have;
-
implementing indexed pricing;
-
reducing the complexity of our formulations;
-
evaluating the profitability of whether to buy or make an ingredient;
-
sourcing from local countries with our own procurement professionals; and
-
periodically assessing our supply base with a view towards greater cost efficiencies and improvements.
Manufacturing and Distribution
As of December 31, 2023, we had approximately 190 manufacturing facilities, creative centers and application laboratories located in approximately 40 different countries. Our major manufacturing facilities are located in the United States, The Netherlands, Spain, Germany, Indonesia, Turkey, Brazil, Mexico, Slovenia, China, India, Ireland, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Belgium and Singapore.
During the last few years in connection with the acquisition of Frutarom, we undertook an initiative to optimize our global operations footprint to efficiently and cost-effectively deliver value to our global customers (the “Frutarom Integration Initiative”). From the inception of the Frutarom Integration Initiative through its completion as of March 31, 2023, we completed the closure of 22 sites.
Our supply chain initiatives are focused on increasing capacity and investing in key technologies. Within our more mature markets, we tend to focus on consolidation and cost optimization as well as the implementation of new technologies. In addition to our own manufacturing facilities, we develop relationships with third parties, including contract manufacturing organizations, that expand our access to the technologies, capabilities and capacity that we need to better serve our customers.
For more detailed information about risks related to our supply chain, please refer to Item 1A, “Risk Factors” – Supply chain disruptions, geopolitical developments, including the Russia-Ukraine war, the Israel-Hamas war and wider Middle East developments (including disruptions to the Red Sea passage or such conflicts spreading further in the relevant regions), or climate-change events (including severe weather events) may adversely affect our suppliers or our procurement of raw materials, and thus may impact our business and financial results.
Environmental, Social, and Governance
Following the integration with Nutrition and Biosciences, Inc. (“N&B”), we launched a refreshed and comprehensive Environmental, Social, and Governance (“ESG”) roadmap, the ‘Do More Good Plan’ (“the Plan”), which aligns with IFF’s purpose of applying science and creativity for a better world and our strategy for long term growth and value creation. The Plan includes ambitious 2030 goals across four key areas: Environmental, Social, Governance and Sustainable Solutions.
Environmental: Climate & Planetary Health
Supporting environmental stewardship across our operations, including commitments to climate action, zero waste to landfill, water stewardship solutions and an acceleration of our responsible sourcing practices by promoting regenerative ecosystems and achieving zero deforestation for strategic raw material supply chains.
Social: Equity & Wellbeing
Advancing our commitment to people and communities by strengthening diversity, equity & inclusion within our workforce, while continuously improving our safety program by striving for an injury-free workplace, and achieving world-class safety performance. Within our responsible sourcing program, the Company will continue to promote human rights and animal welfare, while supporting farmers’ livelihoods and ensuring prosperous and equitable value chains.
Governance: Transparency & Accountability
Continuing our commitment to good governance which starts with our Board and Executive Leadership Team and is supported by a strong governance framework, including having a robust program to ensure compliance with our Codes of Conduct and adherence to the highest standards of ethics, integrity, honesty and respect in our dealings internally and with our business partners. To enhance accountability in line with evolving stakeholder expectations, the Company has launched ESG metrics tied to executive compensation, while expanding oversight for ESG at the Board of Directors level.
Sustainable Solutions
Focusing on the sustainability value proposition and growth for all new innovations as we assist customers in achieving their own ESG goals by delivering an expanded suite of sustainable solutions for the market.
In 2023, our Company continued to achieve notable recognitions in these areas. We qualified as a constituent of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, North America for the fourth consecutive year, a family of best-in-class benchmarks for investors who recognize that sustainable business practices are critical to generating long-term shareholder value. This distinction validates IFF’s leadership position in sustainability performance and underscores our commitment to executing on key ESG priorities. We were also awarded the 2023 EcoVadis Platinum sustainability rating for the third time, placing IFF among the top 1% of companies assessed. In addition, following our submission to CDP Climate Change, Water Security and Forests, we maintained our leadership position in CDP Climate Change and achieved management level for CDP Water Security and Forests for 2023. IFF continues to be listed in the FTSE4Good Index series as well as in the Euronext Vigeo World 120 Index for ESG performance.
In addition, in 2023 IFF further aligned with the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) by completing the first phase of a climate scenario analysis to understand and quantify the potential risks and opportunities related to climate change. For more detailed information about our ESG programs and performance, please refer to our annual ESG report.
Governmental Regulation
We develop, produce and market our products in a number of jurisdictions around the world and are subject to federal, regional and local legislation and regulations in various countries. Our products, which among other industries, are intended for use in food, beverage, pharmaceutical and dietary supplements, home and personal care, feed, cosmetics industries, are subject to strict quality and regulatory standards and environmental laws and regulations. We in turn are required to meet strict standards which, in recent years, have become increasingly stringent and affect both existing as well as new products. While the cost of compliance with such laws and regulations leads to higher overall capital expenditure, which can be significant in certain periods, we do not currently anticipate any material capital expenditures necessary to comply with such laws and regulations. We continue to monitor existing and pending laws and regulations and while the impact of regulatory changes cannot be predicted with certainty, compliance has not had, and is not expected to have a material adverse effect on capital expenditure, earnings or competitive position.
Our products and operations are subject to regulation by governmental agencies in each of the markets in which we operate. These agencies include (1) the Food and Drug Administration and equivalent international agencies that regulate flavors, pharmaceutical excipients and other ingredients in consumer products, (2) the Environmental Protection Agency and equivalent international agencies that regulate our manufacturing facilities, as well as fragrance products (including encapsulation systems), (3) the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and equivalent international agencies that regulate the working conditions in our manufacturing, research laboratories and creative centers, (4) local and international agencies that regulate trade and customs, (5) the Drug Enforcement Administration and other local or international agencies that regulate controlled chemicals that we use in our operations, (6) the Chemical Registration/Notification authorities that regulate chemicals that we use in, or transport to, the various countries in which we manufacture and/or market our products, and (7) the U.S. Department of Agriculture and equivalent international authorities with respect to, among other things, labeling of consumer products. We have seen an increase in registration and reporting requirements concerning the use of certain chemicals in a number of countries, such as Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (“REACH”) regulations in the European Union, as well as similar regulations in other countries.
In addition, we are subject to various rules relating to health, work safety and the environment at the local and international levels in the various countries in which we operate. Our manufacturing facilities throughout the world are subject to environmental standards relating to air emissions, sewage discharges, the use of hazardous materials, waste disposal practices and clean-up of existing environmental contamination. In recent years, there has been an increase in the stringency of environmental regulation and enforcement of environmental standards, and the costs of compliance have risen significantly, a trend we expect will continue in the future.
For more detailed information about risks related to governmental regulation applicable to the Company, please refer to Item 1A, “Risk Factors” – If we are unable to comply with regulatory requirements and industry standards, including those regarding product safety, quality, efficacy and environmental impact, we could incur significant costs and suffer reputational harm which could adversely affect results of operations.
Competition
The markets for our products are part of a larger market that supplies a wide variety of ingredients and compounds used in consumer products. The broader market includes functional foods and food additives, including seasonings, texturizers, spices, cultures, enzymes, probiotics, certain food-related commodities, and fortified products, as well as natural ingredients, nutritional ingredients, supplements and active cosmetic ingredients. Our acquisitions have also expanded our reach in products within the functional food ingredient market, including ingredients focused on improving the health and wellness characteristics of a consumer good, the dietary supplement, pharmaceutical ingredient, infant nutrition markets and the cosmetic actives market.
The global market for our products has expanded, primarily as a result of an increase in demand for, and an increase in the variety of, consumer products.
The market for our products is highly competitive. Our main competitors consist of (1) other large global companies, such as Givaudan, DSM-Firmenich Symrise, Kerry, ADM, Novonesis, (2) mid-sized companies, (3) numerous regional and local manufacturers and (4) consumer product companies who may develop their own competing products.
We believe that our ability to create products with the sustainability related attributes customers expect and compete successfully in the various sub-market is based on:
-
our in-depth understanding of consumers,
-
vertical integration,
-
innovation and technological advances from our research and development activities and, as applicable, our scientists,
-
our ability to tailor products to customers’ needs,
-
our ability to manufacture products on a global scale, and
-
broad-based regulatory capabilities.
In certain industries, large multi-national customers and, increasingly, mid-sized customers, may limit the number of their suppliers by placing some on “core lists,” giving them priority for development and production of their new or modified products. To compete more successfully, we must make continued investments in customer relationships and tailor our research and development efforts to anticipate customers’ needs, provide effective service and secure and maintain inclusion on these “core lists.”
Private label manufacturers, mostly medium-sized, local or small food manufacturers, constitute a growing segment in certain markets where we are active. Over the last decade, with the strengthening of supermarket chains, online platforms and growing consumer price consciousness, consumption of private label products has grown at a faster rate than the brand food industry rate. We believe that new business opportunities will continue to arise from these clients as they are increasing their demand for products that are similar to existing products in the market, distinctive premium products, as well as more innovative products.
Our People
The success of our business is built on our talented employees. At December 31, 2023, we had approximately 21,500 employees worldwide, of whom approximately 5,200 are employed in the United States. Our workforce plans and talent management programs support our employees to best deliver the business strategy and ensure their development and engagement.
Culture and Values
Our culture is based on our five corporate values of empowerment, expertise, innovation, integrity and responsibility, and the expression of these values can be seen and felt throughout our history. Our employees appreciate that they contribute to products that touch and enhance the lives of millions of people around the world. Our robust culture ambassador programs continue to engage a broad portion of the IFF community in building common identity and shared purpose and strengthen engagement and motivation by providing programming on IFF values and providing recognition of individuals who exemplify them.
Leadership and Development
Our leadership development efforts empower employees to become forward-looking, inspiring and capable decision-makers, agents of change and great leaders. A full portfolio of proprietary leadership development programs and an overarching talent management system is in place to support growth of leaders and at all levels. To cultivate our employees’ talent and build sustainable long-lasting careers at IFF, we provide tools that enable our employees to envision their career journeys in the form of articulated career “ladders” and “frameworks”. We offer corresponding development opportunities to include specialized courses for employees globally by partnering with leading institutions and universities to help provide the latest training and development offerings at all levels. We also offer to our employees an extensive library of on-demand courses and materials on leadership, management and professional skills development. Those learning resources are integrated into our human capital platform, allowing managers and employees to establish digitalized learning plans that are ultimately captured as a part of their employee profile. Further, those offerings complement our talent acquisition strategy and organized and personalized feedback process, supported by industry-leading assessment tools.
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (“DE&I”)
“Your Uniqueness Unleashes Our Potential” is the unifying vision for DE&I at IFF around the world because we know that the diverse backgrounds, experiences and knowledge of our global workforce is what unleashes the potential that exists at the intersection of science and creativity. This is what enables us to Be the Premier Partner to our customers.
In 2023, we refreshed our strategic framework to continue accelerating our journey. This new strategic framework builds on what has come before and increases focus on integrating DE&I into how we operate on a daily basis - fostering inclusive talent processes, inclusive employee experiences and external engagement. Through this new strategic framework, among other things:
-
We made progress against our ESG goals, increasing representation for women in senior leadership roles to approximately 38%;
-
We expanded accountability beyond the executive team by tying senior leader bonus awards to progress towards our 2030 gender diversity goals;
-
Our colleague communities or employee resource groups (open to all IFF employees, with a focus on Women, Black, LGBTQIA+, Latino/a/e, Asian, People with Disabilities, Early in Career, Veterans & First Responders) increased visibility and impact with well-attended events around the world; and
-
We committed to the Living Wage Pledge.
IFF is proud to continue to be globally EDGE certified for gender equality at the “Move” level by the Edge Certified Foundation and we continue to leverage and be recognized by other external benchmarking organizations including Bloomberg Gender Equality Index; DisabilityIN’s Disability Equality Index, Workplace Pride, as well as others. In 2023, we participated in the Black Equality Index for the first time. These indices allow us to understand what it takes to raise the bar and refine or adjust our DE&I initiatives accordingly. IFF was also listed as a “Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion” for the fourth consecutive year.
Occupational Health & Safety
Employee safety is one of the cornerstones of our business. Our occupational health and safety management system requires and encourages employees and supervised contractors at sites globally to uphold IFF’s protocols, report any incidents and suggest improvements that improve the safety of work sites. Our safety management system is based on U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) standards which apply to all of our sites in conjunction with any local regulations. To work toward a safer workplace, we have put in place a set of protocols and programs related to three areas of focus: (a) safety governance (setting and updating comprehensive safety policies and procedures), (b) safety training of employees based on IFF policies and local requirements, and (c) safety culture characterized by awareness and communication.
Availability of Reports
We make available free of charge on or through the “Investors” link on our website, www.iff.com, all materials that we file electronically with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports, filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, as soon as reasonably practicable after electronically filing such materials with, or furnishing them to, the SEC. During the period covered by this Form 10-K, we made all such materials available through our website as soon as reasonably practicable after filing such materials with the SEC.
The SEC maintains an Internet website, www.sec.gov, that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information that we file electronically with the SEC.
A copy of our By-Laws, Corporate Governance Guidelines, Codes of Conduct, and the charters of the Audit Committee, Human Capital & Compensation Committee, Governance & Corporate Responsibility Committee and Innovation Committee of the Board of Directors are posted on the “Investors” section of our website, www.iff.com.
Our principal executive offices are located at 521 West 57th Street, New York, New York 10019 and 200 Powder Mill Road, Wilmington, Delaware 19803.
Executive Officers of Registrant
Below is a list of the executive officers of the Company and other significant employees who are members of our Executive Leadership Team as of February 28, 2024.
| Name | Age | Position | ||||||||||||
| J. Erik Fyrwald(1) | 64 | Chief Executive Officer and member of our Board of Directors | ||||||||||||
| Yuvraj Arora | 52 | President, Nourish | ||||||||||||
| Deborah Borg(1) | 47 | Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources, Diversity & Inclusion and Communications Officer | ||||||||||||
| Michael DeVeau | 43 | Senior Vice President, Corporate Finance and Investor Relations | ||||||||||||
| Ralf Finzel(1) | 60 | Executive Vice President, Global Operations Officer | ||||||||||||
| Simon Herriott(1) | 60 | President, Health & Biosciences and Scent | ||||||||||||
| Jennifer Johnson(1) | 49 | Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary | ||||||||||||
| Glenn Richter(1) | 62 | Executive Vice President, Chief Financial & Business Transformation Officer | ||||||||||||
| Angela Strzelecki(1) | 57 | President, Pharma Solutions | ||||||||||||
| Vic Verma | 55 | Executive Vice President, Chief Information Officer | ||||||||||||
| Casper Vroemen | 54 | Executive Vice President, Chief Research & Development Officer |
(1)These individuals are executive officers and file reports under Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
J. Erik Fyrwald has served as our Chief Executive Officer and a member of our Board of Directors since February 6, 2024. Mr. Fyrwald joined us from Syngenta, where he served as Chief Executive Officer since 2016. Prior to his role at Syngenta, Mr. Fyrwald served as Chief Executive Officer of Univar Solutions from May 2012 until May 2016, as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Nalco from 2008 until 2011, when Nalco merged with Ecolab Inc., and following the merger, he served as President of Ecolab. Mr. Fyrwald began his career at DuPont starting in 1981. During his 27 years at DuPont, Mr. Fyrwald held a number of positions, including Group Vice President of the Agriculture and Nutrition Division at DuPont and Vice President and General Manager of DuPont’s Nutrition and Health Business.
Yuvraj Arora has served as our Executive Vice President and President, Nourish since June 19, 2023. Mr. Arora joined IFF from Kellogg North America, where he served as the President of the company’s six U.S. categories since April 2021. He was with Kellogg for more than 20 years, beginning in India in 2002 where he held roles in marketing and category management. He later assumed roles of increasing responsibility in marketing, brand management and general management upon his relocation to the United States in 2005 and in Singapore from 2012-2015.
Deborah Borg has served as our Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources, Diversity & Inclusion and Communications Officer since August 29, 2022. Ms. Borg joined IFF from Bunge Limited, where she served as Chief Human Resources and Communications Officer since 2016. Prior to joining Bunge, she served in a variety of business leadership and Human Resources roles in Australia, Switzerland and the U.S. for Dow Chemical between 2000 and 2015. She began her career at General Motors Australia.
Michael DeVeau has served as our Senior Vice President, Corporate Finance and Investor Relations since December 2022 and had previously served as Senior Vice President, Chief Investor Relations & Communications Officer from February 2021 to December 2022, Vice President, Investor Relations, Communications, and Chief of Staff from September 2014 to February 2021, as well as divisional Chief Financial Officer, Scent from 2018 to 2020 and head of Corporate Strategy from 2016 to 2018. Since joining the Company in 2009 as head of investor relations, Mr. DeVeau has held various roles of increasing scope and responsibility in communications, finance and strategy. Prior to joining the Company, he served in leadership positions in investor relations, finance and corporate development at PepsiCo. Mr. DeVeau began his career as an Equity Research Analyst at Citigroup Investment Research.
Ralf Finzel has served as our Executive Vice President, Global Operations Officer since November 1, 2022. Previously, Mr. Finzel served as Vice President of Integrated Supply Chain for Honeywell International Performance Materials and Technologies Business Group in Houston since 2020. Prior to that, he served as Vice President of Integrated Supply Chain for Honeywell International Building Technologies Business Group from July 2017 to March 2020. He first joined Honeywell in Germany as an operations manager in 1999, and held various roles of increasing responsibility and scope in Europe and the U.S. Prior to joining Honeywell, he worked in research and plant management roles for Hoechst AG.
Simon Herriott has served as our President, Health & Biosciences since February 2021 and President, Scent since June 2023. From 2019 to February 2021, Mr. Herriott was Vice President and Global Business Director, Health & Biosciences for the N&B Business and from 2016 to 2019, he served as Global Business Director, Bioactives, Industrial Biosciences and Vice President, Danisco Inc. Mr. Herriott was employed by DuPont’s predecessor or formerly affiliated companies for 15 years and held a variety of roles, including Global Business Director, Biomaterials, Industrial Biosciences.
Jennifer Johnson has served as our Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary since February 2021. From 2019 to February 2021, Dr. Johnson served as Associate General Counsel for the N&B Business. Dr. Johnson
joined DuPont in 2013, where she led the legal team for DuPont’s former Industrial Biosciences business as Associate General Counsel and previously served as Assistant Chief Intellectual Property Counsel for Industrial Biosciences. Prior to joining DuPont, Dr. Johnson was a Partner at the law firm of Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, L.L.P.
Glenn Richter has served as our Executive Vice President, Chief Financial & Business Transformation Officer since February 2023. Mr. Richter served as our Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer from September 2021 to February 2023. Prior to joining IFF, Mr. Richter was Chief Financial Officer of TIAA, having worked at the company in various leadership roles from April 2015 to July 2021. Previously, Mr. Richter worked for Nuveen Investments as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Administrative Officer and before joining Nuveen Investments in 2006, he served as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer for RR Donnelley & Sons, and prior to that he was Executive Vice President & CFO of Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Chairman of Sears Canada, a publicly-traded affiliate.
Angela Strzelecki has served as our President, Pharma Solutions since February 2021. From 2019 to February 2021, Dr. Strzelecki was Global Business Director, Pharma Solutions for the N&B Business. During her 29 year career with DuPont or its formerly affiliated companies, Dr. Strzelecki held a variety of leadership positions, including Planning Director - Corporate Planning and M&A, Global Business Director - Electronics & Communications, North America Business Director - Building Innovations, Global Business Director - Industrial Coatings and Global Technology Director for Coatings.
Vic Verma has served as our Executive Vice President, Chief Information Officer since February 2021 and had previously served as our Senior Vice President, Chief Information Officer from 2016 to February 2021. Before joining the Company, Mr. Verma served as Vice President of Global Infrastructure Operations at American Express, a multinational financial services company. Prior to that, Mr. Verma held several other leadership positions at American Express as well as Vice President, Division CIO and management consulting roles with GlaxoSmithKline, Bristol Myers Squibb and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Casper Vroemen has served as our Executive Vice President, Chief Research & Development Officer since September 2023. Dr. Vroemen has been with the N&B Business since 2004. Over the past two decades, he has assumed roles of increasing responsibility in research and development in Europe and the U.S.
Recent Developments
On January 11, 2024, we announced the departure of Frank K. Clyburn Jr. as our Chief Executive Officer, effective February 6, 2024. The Board of Directors appointed J. Erik Fyrwald as our Chief Executive Officer, effective February 6, 2024.
Item 1A. RISK FACTORS.
Risk Factor Summary
The following summary highlights some of the principal risks that could adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. This summary is not complete and the risks summarized below are not the only risks we face. These risks are discussed more fully further below in this section entitled “Risk Factors” in Item 1A. of this report. These risks include, but are not limited to, the following:
-
We have a substantial amount of indebtedness that could materially adversely affect, among other things, our financial condition, our ability to return capital to our shareholders, needed investments into our business, and our credit ratings.
-
If we are unable to successfully execute the next phase of our strategic transformation, including our portfolio optimization, it may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
-
Our ability to declare and pay dividends is subject to certain considerations.
-
Our results of operations may be negatively impacted by the outcome of uncertainties related to legal claims, disputes, investigations and litigation, including the ongoing antitrust and competition investigations and related class actions lawsuits.
-
Inflationary trends and pricing uncertainty, including in the price of our input costs, such as raw materials, transportation and energy, could adversely affect our business and financial results in the short term and result in uncertainties in the long term.
-
Supply chain disruptions, geopolitical developments, including the Russia-Ukraine war, the Israel-Hamas war and wider Middle East developments (including disruptions to the Red Sea passage or such conflicts spreading further in the relevant regions), or climate-change events (including severe weather events) may adversely affect our suppliers or our procurement of raw materials, and thus may impact our business and financial results.
-
Our success depends on attracting and retaining talented people within our business and our management team. Changes to management, including turnover of our top executives, and significant shortfalls in recruitment, retention or transition of employees or our management team could adversely affect our ability to compete and achieve our strategic goals.
-
If we are unable to successfully market to our expanded and diverse customer base, our operating results and future growth may be adversely affected.
-
Our business is highly competitive, and if we are unable to compete effectively our sales and results of operations will suffer.
-
A significant portion of our sales is generated from a limited number of large multi-national customers, which are currently under competitive pressures that may affect the demand for our products and profitability.
-
We may not successfully develop and introduce new products that meet our customers’ needs, which may adversely affect our results of operations.
-
International conflicts (such as the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas war), geopolitical events, natural disasters, public health crises (such as the COVID-19 pandemic), trade wars, terrorist acts, labor strikes, political or economic crises (such as uncertainty related to protracted U.S. federal government funding negotiations), accidents and other events could adversely affect our business and financial results, including by disrupting development, manufacturing, distribution or sale of our products.
-
A significant data breach or other disruption to our information technology systems could disrupt our operations, result in the loss of confidential information or personal data, and adversely impact our reputation, business or results of operations.
-
We are subject to risks associated with the potential use of artificial intelligence (“AI”) in our own operations and by third-party partners that we may engage with.
-
We have made investments in and continue to expand our business into emerging markets, which exposes us to certain risks.
-
The impact of currency fluctuation or devaluation in the international markets in which we operate may negatively affect our results of operations.
-
International economic, political, legal, compliance and business factors could negatively affect our financial statements, operations and growth.
-
Economic uncertainty, including increased inflation, may adversely affect demand for our products which may have a negative impact on our operating results and future growth.
-
The integration of the N&B Business may continue to present significant challenges, and we may not realize anticipated synergies and other benefits of the N&B Transaction.
-
If we are unable to react in a timely and cost-effective manner to changes in consumer trends, such as increasing awareness of health and wellness, our results of operations and future growth may be adversely affected.
-
We are subject to increasing customer, consumer, shareholder and regulatory focus on sustainability, which may result in additional costs in order to meet new requirements.
-
Our performance may be adversely impacted if we are not successful in managing our inventory and/or working capital balances.
-
Any impairment of our tangible or intangible long-lived assets, including goodwill, may adversely impact our profitability.
-
If we fail to successfully enter into or close collaborations, joint ventures, partnerships or acquisitions, or successfully manage such transactions, it could adversely affect our business and growth opportunities.
-
Our funding obligations for our pension and postretirement plans could adversely affect our earnings and cash flows.
-
The phase out of the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) may impact the interest rates paid on our variable rate indebtedness and could cause our interest expense to increase.
-
If we are unable to comply with regulatory requirements and industry standards, including those regarding product safety, quality, efficacy and environmental impact, we could incur significant costs and suffer reputational harm which could adversely affect results of operations.
-
Defects, quality issues (including product recalls), inadequate disclosure or misuse with respect to the products and capabilities could adversely affect our business, reputation and results of operations.
-
Failure to comply with environmental protection laws may cause us to close, relocate or operate one or more of our plants at reduced production levels, and expose us to civil or criminal liability, which could adversely affect our operating results and future growth.
-
We could be adversely affected by violations, by us or our counterparties, of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, similar U.S. or foreign anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws and regulations, applicable sanctions laws and regulations in the jurisdictions in which we operate or ethical business practices and related laws and regulations.
-
Our ability to compete effectively depends on our ability to protect our intellectual property rights.
-
Changes in our tax rates, the adoption of new U.S. or international tax legislation, or changes in existing tax laws could expose us to additional tax liabilities that may affect our future results.
-
The N&B Transaction could result in significant tax liability, and we may be obligated to indemnify DuPont for any such tax liability imposed on DuPont.
-
If we fail to comply with data protection laws in the U.S. and abroad, we may be subject to fines, penalties and other costs.
Risk Factors
*We routinely encounter and address risks in conducting our business. Some of these risks may cause our future results to be different - sometimes materially different - than we presently anticipate. Below are material risks we have identified that could adversely affect our business. How we react to material future developments, as well as how our competitors and customers react to those developments,
Showing the first 8K of 106K characters. Open the full section
Item 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS.
None.
Item 1C. CYBERSECURITY.
Risk Management and Strategy
Our comprehensive Incident Response Plan outlines processes to identify, detect, assess, respond to and recover from threats, including cybersecurity threats. We follow those processes to manage material risks from cybersecurity threats, including risks relating to disruption of business operations or financial reporting systems, intellectual property theft; fraud; extortion; harm to employees or customers; violation of privacy laws and other litigation/legal risk; and reputational risk, as part of our overall risk management system and processes.
In addition, our Enterprise Risk Management (“ERM”) program considers cybersecurity risks alongside other company risks. Our enterprise risk professionals consult with cross-organizational leaders to gather information necessary to identify cybersecurity risks, evaluate their likelihood and severity, identify necessary mitigations and assess the potential impact of those mitigations on residual risk. Our ERM Committee, chaired by the Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”) and General Counsel (“GC”), and comprised of senior leaders representing each risk domain, integrates global risks, including cybersecurity and compliance, to ensure appropriate prioritization of resources and alignment across the Company. The ERM Committee meets with our Executive Leadership Team and presents at least annually to our Board of Directors on the ERM process and on our risk mitigation actions, including providing reporting focused on compliance and cybersecurity risks.
Our Chief Information Officer (“CIO”) is responsible for delivering on the Company’s global Information Technology (“IT”) strategy, including infrastructure, data and analytics, application delivery, end user services, cybersecurity risk management and the digital technology transformation program. The IT leadership team leads the implementation of the IT strategy and the day-to-day operations. Under the guidance of the CIO, our Chief Information Security Officer (“CISO”) leads Information Security (“InfoSec”), which includes the Cyber Fusion Center, Infrastructure Security, including network segmentation, firewalls and intrusion detection and prevention systems, Identity and Access Management, Application Security, Data Security and InfoSec Governance, Risk and Compliance. InfoSec is overseen by the InfoSec Steering Committee, comprised of senior leaders representing all corporate functions and business units, and the InfoSec Governance Review Board, comprised of the IT leadership team and the InfoSec leadership team. InfoSec is governed in coordination with IFF’s ERM Committee and is aligned to the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (“NIST”) Cybersecurity Framework.
In addition to our dedicated leadership team overseeing InfoSec, we view InfoSec as a shared responsibility, and to best protect our network, computers and data from threats, we empower our employees to be our first line of defense. To that end, all employees globally complete annual mandatory InfoSec training on email security, password security and our Acceptable Use Policy. We use email security, endpoint security, logging and monitoring, remote access, application security and other tools to deter threat actors, block malicious/phishing emails and avoid IT system interruptions.
Our comprehensive InfoSec Incident Response Plan is updated at least annually, and provides guidance for detecting, containing, eradicating and recovering from potential incidents. It outlines escalation procedures, reporting requirements, incident severity levels, a materiality assessment and roles and responsibilities for key partners, including IT, Legal/Employee Relations, Corporate Communications, Human Resources and other senior leaders. Our escalation procedures include escalation to our Executive Leadership Team, Audit Committee, Disclosure Committee, and Board of Directors, and reporting to
regulators, customers, investors, and others. We also maintain cybersecurity insurance, regularly evaluate the effectiveness of our systems, and test our contingency plans by conducting vulnerability analysis and tabletop exercises with both technical incident responders and senior leaders.
Based on industry baselines and discussions throughout our membership in various global InfoSec communities, we believe that these preventative actions provide adequate measures of protection against information security breaches/incidents and reduce our cybersecurity risks. Given the evolving nature of InfoSec incidents, we regularly engage with our peers on threat intelligence and collaborate with organizations both in our industry and across industries to share best practices.
In connection with our InfoSec risk management processes, we engage third-party assessors and outside counsel. Our program includes review and assessment by external, independent third parties, who assess and report on our overall InfoSec program and identify areas for continued focus and improvement. Our CIO, CISO and GC oversee our technology risk management and privacy teams, which work in partnership with our Internal Audit team to review IT-related controls as part of the overall internal controls process and regulatory requirements. We consult with outside counsel to advise our team and our Board of Directors on best practices for InfoSec oversight, and the evolution of that oversight over time. InfoSec employees regularly speak at and attend industry events to ensure awareness of evolving threats and innovative prevention and remediation techniques. Further, our InfoSec risk management processes extend to the oversight and identification of threats associated with our use of third-party service providers through relationship due diligence, InfoSec assessments and contractual provisions.
Our business strategy, results of operations and financial condition have not been materially affected by risks from cybersecurity threats, including as a result of previous cybersecurity incidents, but we cannot provide assurance that they will not be materially affected in the future by such risks and any future material incidents. For more detailed information about risks related to our cybersecurity, refer to Item 1A, “Risk Factors” – “A significant data breach or other disruption to our information technology systems could disrupt our operations, result in the loss of confidential information or personal data, and adversely impact our reputation, business or results of operations.”
Governance
The Board of Directors is responsible for overseeing and reviewing with management the Company’s InfoSec risks and the policies and practices established to manage such risks. In that effort, the Board of Directors delegates certain responsibilities to our Audit Committee. This committee-level focus on InfoSec allows the Board to further enhance its understanding of these issues as it continues to have overall oversight responsibility for risk.
The Audit Committee assists the Board of Directors in its oversight by staying apprised of our InfoSec programs, strategy, policies, standards, architecture, processes and material risks, and by overseeing response to InfoSec incidents. Our Audit Committee receives from management updates, at least quarterly, on material security risks, including any material incidents, relevant industry developments, threat vectors and material risks identified in periodic penetration tests or vulnerability scans. These updates also include material legal and legislative developments concerning InfoSec, our approach to complying with applicable law and material engagement with regulators concerning IT and InfoSec.
The Board of Directors receives regular reports from the Audit Committee which detail (a) InfoSec initiatives, (b) reviews of the policies and practices established to manage these processes, and (c) reviews of the Company’s procedures for monitoring compliance with applicable laws. Additionally, the Board of Directors also receives updates on the Company’s risks through ERM program reports, which include management’s approach to mitigating and managing InfoSec risks.
Members of the Board of Directors stay apprised of the rapidly evolving cyber threat landscape and provide guidance to management, as appropriate, to address the effectiveness of our overall data privacy and cybersecurity program. Recently, members of the Board of Directors and Executive Leadership Team participated in a Cybersecurity Exercise led by our CIO and CISO as training, and, to prepare for incident response. The Board of Directors and Audit Committee also receive regular cybersecurity posture reports from an external third-party, and outside counsel advises the Board of Directors on best practices for the Board’s oversight of InfoSec and the evolution of that oversight over time. Additionally, two members of our Board of Directors and Audit Committee have experience in InfoSec matters.
Our Board of Directors and Audit Committee’s principal role is one of oversight, recognizing that management, led by our CIO and CISO, is responsible for the design, implementation and maintenance of an effective program for identifying, detecting, protecting against, responding to, recovering from and mitigating data privacy and InfoSec risks. Our CIO has more than 30 years of technology experience, including leadership across a variety of enterprise technologies, including InfoSec, and across multiple industries. Our CISO has more than 20 years of experience in InfoSec, across multiple industries, and is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP). The CIO and CISO provide, at least, annual updates on IT and InfoSec initiatives to the Board of Directors and quarterly updates to the Audit Committee.
Item 2. PROPERTIES.
Our principal owned and leased properties, as of December 31, 2023, are as follows:
| Europe, Africa & the Middle East | North America | Greater Asia | Latin America | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Owned | Leased | Owned | Leased | Owned | Leased | Owned | Leased | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Plant | 40 | 16 | 18 | 13 | 22 | 7 | 16 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Office | 2 | 57 | — | 6 | 3 | 20 | — | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Laboratory | 7 | 13 | 2 | 15 | — | 14 | — | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Warehouse | 1 | 11 | — | 10 | — | 2 | 2 | 8 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other | 4 | 4 | — | 7 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 54 | 101 | 20 | 51 | 32 | 46 | 21 | 22 |
Our principal executive offices are located at 521 West 57th Street, New York, New York and 200 Powder Mill Road, Wilmington, Delaware. Our principal sites include facilities which, in the opinion of its management, are suitable and adequate for their use and have sufficient capacity for its current business needs and expected near-term growth.
Item 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.
We are subject to various claims and legal actions in the ordinary course of our business. The Company’s material legal proceedings are described in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Note 19, “Commitments and Contingencies” under the heading “Litigation.” For more detailed information about risks related to legal proceedings, refer to Item 1A, “Risk Factors” – “Our results of operations may be negatively impacted by the outcome of uncertainties related to legal claims, disputes, investigations and litigation, including the ongoing antitrust and competition investigations and related class actions lawsuits.”
Item 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES.
Not applicable.
PART II
Item 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES.
Market Information.
Our common stock is principally traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “IFF.”
While we have historically paid dividends on a quarterly basis to shareholders of our common stock, the declaration and payment of future dividends will depend on many factors, including, but not limited to, our earnings, financial condition, business development needs and regulatory considerations. Our Board of Directors may reduce, suspend or discontinue the payment of dividends at any time. See Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K in the “Consolidated Statements of Shareholders’ Equity” and in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Note 12 for additional information.
Approximate Number of Equity Security Holders.
| Title of Class | Number of shareholders of record as of February 21, 2024 | |||||||
| Common stock, par value 12 1/2¢ per share | 3,249 |
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.
None.
Performance Graph.
The following graph compares a shareholder’s cumulative total return for the last five fiscal years as if such amounts had been invested in: (i) our common stock; (ii) the stocks included in the S&P 500 Index; (iii) the stocks included in the S&P 500 Consumer Staples Index; and (iv) the stocks included in the S&P 500 Specialty Chemicals Index. The graph is based on historical stock prices and measures total shareholder return, which takes into account both changes in stock price and dividends. The total return assumes that dividends were reinvested daily and is based on a $100 investment on December 31, 2018.

SOURCE: S&P Capital IQ
| Year-end Data | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | ||||||||||||||
| International Flavors & Fragrances | $ | 100.00 | $ | 98.30 | $ | 85.19 | $ | 120.59 | $ | 86.40 | $ | 69.58 | ||||||||
| S&P 500 Index | $ | 100.00 | $ | 131.49 | $ | 155.68 | $ | 200.37 | $ | 164.08 | $ | 207.21 | ||||||||
| S&P 500 Consumer Staples Index | $ | 100.00 | $ | 127.61 | $ | 141.32 | $ | 167.65 | $ | 166.61 | $ | 167.47 | ||||||||
| S&P 500 Specialty Chemicals Index | $ | 100.00 | $ | 118.26 | $ | 138.57 | $ | 178.80 | $ | 129.71 | $ | 150.65 |
Item 6. [RESERVED]
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.
(UNLESS INDICATED OTHERWISE, DOLLARS IN MILLIONS EXCEPT PER SHARE AMOUNTS)
OVERVIEW
Company Background
On February 1, 2021, one of our wholly owned subsidiaries merged with and into the N&B Business (the “Merger”), pursuant to a Merger Agreement with DuPont. The shares issued in the Merger represented approximately 55.4% of the common stock of IFF on a fully diluted basis, after giving effect to the Merger, as of February 1, 2021. The N&B Business is an innovation-driven and customer-focused business that provides solutions for the global food and beverage, dietary supplements, home and personal care, energy, animal nutrition and pharma markets. The transaction was made in order to strengthen IFF’s customer base and market presence, with an enhanced position in the food & beverage, home & personal care and health & wellness markets. See Note 3 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information related to the N&B Transaction.
As a result of the N&B Transaction, and following our prior 2018 acquisition of Frutarom Industries Ltd., we have expanded our global leadership positions, which now include high-value ingredients and solutions in the Food & Beverage, Home & Personal Care and Health & Wellness markets, and across key Taste, Texture, Scent, Nutrition, Enzymes, Cultures, Soy Proteins, Pharmaceutical Excipients and Probiotics categories.
We are organized into four segments: Nourish, Health & Biosciences, Scent and Pharma Solutions. Our consolidated financial information for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 reflects the results of N&B for the full twelve months of 2023 and 2022, whereas the year ended December 31, 2021 only reflects the results of N&B for eleven months of 2021.
Our Nourish segment consists of an innovative and broad portfolio of natural-based ingredients to enhance nutritional value, texture and functionality in a wide range of beverage, dairy, bakery, confectionery and culinary applications and consists of Ingredients, Flavors and Food Designs.
Our Health & Biosciences segment consists of the development and production of an advanced biotechnology-derived portfolio of enzymes, food cultures, probiotics and specialty ingredients for food and non-food applications. Among many other applications, this biotechnology-driven portfolio includes cultures for use in fermented foods such as yogurt, cheese and fermented beverages, probiotic strains, many with documented clinical health claims for use as dietary supplements and through industrial fermentation the production of enzymes and microorganisms that provide product and process performance benefits to household detergents, animal feed, ethanol production and brewing. Health & Biosciences is comprised of Health, Cultures & Food Enzymes, Home & Personal Care, Animal Nutrition and Grain Processing.
Our Scent segment creates fragrance compounds, fragrance ingredients and cosmetic ingredients that are integral elements in the world’s finest perfumes and best-known household and personal care products. Consumer insights science and creativity are at the heart of our Scent business, and, along with our unique portfolio of natural and synthetic ingredients, global footprint, innovative technologies and know-how, and customer intimacy, we believe make us a market leader in scent products. The Scent segment is comprised of Fragrance Compounds, Fragrance Ingredients and Cosmetic Ingredients.
Our Pharma Solutions segment produces, among other things, a vast portfolio of cellulosics and seaweed-based pharmaceutical excipients, used to improve the functionality and delivery of active pharmaceutical ingredients, including controlled or modified drug release formulations, and enabling the development of more effective pharmaceutical finished dosage formulations. Our excipients are used in prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals and dietary supplements. Our Pharma Solutions products also serve a variety of other specialty and industrial end-uses including coatings, inks, electronics, agriculture and consumer products.
Financial Measures — Currency Neutral
Our financial results include the impact of foreign currency exchange rates. We provide currency neutral calculations in this report to remove the impact of foreign currency exchange rates fluctuations. We calculate currency neutral numbers by translating current year invoiced sale amounts at the exchange rates used for the corresponding prior year period. We use currency neutral results in our analysis of subsidiary and/or segment performance. We also use currency neutral numbers when analyzing our performance against our competitors.
Impairment of Goodwill
During 2023, we determined that the carrying value of the Nourish reporting unit exceeded its fair value and recorded an impairment charge of $2.623 billion in the Consolidated Statements of (Loss) Income and Comprehensive Loss for the year ended December 31, 2023.
During 2022, we determined that the carrying value of the Health & Biosciences reporting unit exceeded its fair value and recorded a goodwill impairment charge of $2.250 billion in the Consolidated Statements of (Loss) Income and Comprehensive Loss for the year ended December 31, 2022.
See “Critical Accounting Policies and Use of Estimates” and Note 6 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information. For more detailed information about risks related to impairment of goodwill, refer to Item 1A, “Risk Factors” – “Any impairment of our tangible or intangible long-lived assets, including goodwill, may adversely impact our profitability.”
Impact related to the Israel-Hamas War
We maintain operations in Israel and, additionally, export products to customers in Israel from operations outside the region. We will continue to evaluate the current events and any potential impacts related to this matter, but we do not expect there to be a material impact to our Consolidated Financial Statements.
In 2023, total sales to Israeli customers were approximately 1% of total sales.
Impact related to the Russia-Ukraine War
We maintain operations in both Russia and Ukraine and, additionally, export products to customers in Russia and Ukraine from operations outside the region. In response to the events in Ukraine, we have limited the production and supply of ingredients in and to Russia to only those that meet the essential needs of people, including food, hygiene and medicine.
In 2023, total sales to Russian customers were approximately 1% of total sales. In 2022, total sales to Russian customers were approximately 2% of total sales.
In 2023 and 2022, total sales to Ukrainian customers were both less than 1% of total sales.
We have a reserve of approximately $3 million related to expected credit losses on receivables from customers located in Russia and Ukraine. During the second quarter of 2022, we also recorded a charge of $120 million related to the impairment of certain long-lived assets in Russia. See Note 1, Note 5 and Note 6 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.
For more detailed information about risks related to the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas war, refer to Item 1A, “Risk Factors” - International conflicts (such as the Russia-Ukraine war and Israel-Hamas war), geopolitical events, natural disasters, public health crises (such as the COVID-19 pandemic), trade wars, terrorist acts, labor strikes, political or economic crises (such as uncertainty related to protracted U.S. federal government funding negotiations), accidents and other events could adversely affect our business and financial results, including by disrupting development, manufacturing, distribution or sale of our products.
Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic
On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization designated COVID-19 as a global pandemic. As a result of disruptions or uncertainty relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have exper
Showing the first 8K of 71K characters. Open the full section
Item 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK.
We operate on a global basis and are exposed to currency fluctuation related to the manufacture and sale of our products in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. The major foreign currencies involve the markets in the European Union, Great Britain, Mexico, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Australia, Russia and Japan, although all regions are subject to foreign currency fluctuations versus the U.S. dollar. We actively monitor our foreign currency exposures in all major markets in which we operate, and employ a variety of techniques to mitigate the impact of exchange rate fluctuations, including foreign currency hedging activities.
We have established a centralized reporting system to evaluate the effects of changes in interest rates, currency exchange rates and other relevant market risks. Our risk management procedures include the monitoring of interest rate and foreign exchange exposures and hedge positions utilizing statistical analyses of cash flows, market value and sensitivity analysis. However, the use of these techniques to quantify the market risk of such instruments should not be construed as an endorsement of their accuracy or the accuracy of the related assumptions. For the year ended December 31, 2023, our exposure to market risk was estimated using sensitivity analyses, which illustrate the change in the fair value of a derivative financial instrument assuming hypothetical changes in foreign exchange rates and interest rates.
We enter into foreign currency forward contracts with the objective of managing our exchange rate risk related to foreign currency denominated monetary assets and liabilities of our operations. These contracts, and the counterparties to which are major international financial institutions, generally involve the exchange of one currency for a second currency at a future date, have maturities not exceeding twelve months, and are marked-to-market with changes in fair value that are recorded to Other expense (income), net within our Consolidated Statements of (Loss) Income and Comprehensive Loss. Based on a hypothetical decrease or increase of 10% in the applicable balance sheet exchange rates (primarily against the U.S. dollar), the estimated fair value of our foreign currency forward contracts would change by approximately $153 million as of December 31, 2023. However, any change in the value of the contracts, real or hypothetical, would be significantly offset by a corresponding change in the value of the underlying hedged items.
We use derivative instruments as part of our interest rate risk management strategy. We have entered into certain cross currency swap agreements in order to mitigate a portion of our net European investments from foreign currency risk. As of December 31, 2023, these swaps were in a liability position with an aggregate fair value of $161 million. Based on a hypothetical decrease or increase of 10% in the value of the U.S. dollar against the Euro, the estimated fair value of our cross currency swaps would change by approximately $152 million.
At December 31, 2023, the fair value of our EUR fixed rate debt was $1.384 billion. Based on a hypothetical decrease or increase of 10% in foreign exchange rates, the estimated fair value of our EUR fixed rate debt would change by approximately $143 million.
At December 31, 2023, the fair value of our USD fixed rate debt was $6.227 billion. Based on a hypothetical decrease or increase of 10% in interest rates, the estimated fair value of our US fixed rate debt would change by approximately $623 million.
At December 31, 2023, the total amount of our outstanding debt subject to interest rate fluctuations was $895 million. Based on a hypothetical decrease or increase of 1% in interest rates, our annual interest expense would change by approximately $6 million.
We purchase certain commodities, such as natural gas, electricity, petroleum-based products and certain crop related items. We generally purchase these commodities based upon market prices that are established with the vendor as part of the purchase process. In general, with the exception of soy and natural gas, we do not use commodity financial instruments to hedge commodity prices.
Item 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA.
See index to Consolidated Financial Statements on page 50.
Item 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE.
None.
Item 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES.
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures and Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting.
Our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, with the assistance of other members of our management, have evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by this Form 10-K. Based on such evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures are effective as of the end of the period covered by this Form 10-K.
We have established controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms and is accumulated and communicated to management, including the principal executive officer and the principal financial officer, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that there have not been any changes in our internal control over financial reporting during the fourth quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting.
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Our internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
Management assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023. In making this assessment, management used the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”) in its 2013 Internal Control — Integrated Framework.
Based on this assessment, management determined that, as of December 31, 2023, our internal control over financial reporting was effective.
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, our independent registered public accounting firm, has audited the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023 as stated in their report which is included herein.
Item 9B. OTHER INFORMATION.
Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plans
During the quarter ended December 31, 2023, none of our directors or executive officers adopted or terminated any contract, instruction or written plan for the purchase or sale of our securities that was intended to satisfy the affirmative defense conditions of Rule 10b5-1(c) (a “10b5-1 trading arrangement”) or any “non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement” as defined in Item 408(c) of Regulation S-K.
Item 9C. DISCLOSURES REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTIONS.
None.
PART III
Item 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE.
The information relating to directors and nominees of the Company is set forth in the IFF 2024 Proxy Statement and is incorporated by reference herein. The information relating to Section 16(a) beneficial ownership reporting compliance that appears in the IFF 2024 Proxy Statement is also incorporated by reference herein. See Part I, Item 1 of this Form 10-K for information relating to the Company’s Executive Officers.
We have adopted a Code of Conduct (the “Code of Conduct”) that applies to all of our employees, including our chief executive officer and our chief financial officer. We have also adopted a Code of Conduct for Directors and a Code of Conduct for Executive Officers (together with the Code of Conduct, the “Codes”). The Codes are available through the Investors — Governance link on our website at https://ir.iff.com/governance.
Only the Board of Directors or the Audit Committee of the Board may grant a waiver from any provision of our Codes in favor of a director or executive officer, and any such waiver will be publicly disclosed. We will disclose substantive amendments to and any waivers from the Codes provided to our chief executive officer, principal financial officer or principal accounting officer, as well as any other executive officer or director, on the Company’s website: www.iff.com.
The information regarding the Company’s Audit Committee and its designated audit committee financial experts is set forth in the IFF 2024 Proxy Statement and such information is incorporated by reference herein.
The information concerning procedures by which shareholders may recommend director nominees is set forth in the IFF 2024 Proxy Statement and such information is incorporated by reference herein.
Item 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION.
The items required by Part III, Item 11 are incorporated herein by reference from the IFF 2024 Proxy Statement to be filed on or before April 29, 2024, except as to information required pursuant to Item 402(v) of Regulation S-K relating to pay versus performance.
Item 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS.
The items required by Part III, Item 12 are incorporated herein by reference from the IFF 2024 Proxy Statement to be filed on or before April 29, 2024.
Item 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE.
The items required by Part III, Item 13 are incorporated herein by reference from the IFF 2024 Proxy Statement to be filed on or before April 29, 2024.
Item 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES.
The items required by Part III, Item 14 are incorporated herein by reference from the IFF 2024 Proxy Statement to be filed on or before April 29, 2024.
PART IV
Item 15. EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES.
| (a)(1) FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: The following consolidated financial statements, related notes, and independent registered public accounting firm’s report are included in this Form 10-K: | |||||
| Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (PCAOB ID: 238) | 51 | ||||
| Consolidated Statements of (Loss) Income and Comprehensive Loss for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021 | 53 | ||||
| Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 | 54 | ||||
| Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021 | 55 | ||||
| Consolidated Statements of Shareholders’ Equity for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021 | 56 | ||||
| Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements | 57 | ||||
| (a)(3) EXHIBITS | 112 | ||||
| (a)(2) FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES | |||||
| Schedule II — Valuation and Qualifying Accounts and Reserves for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021 | S-1 |
All other schedules are omitted because they are not applicable or the required information is shown in the financial statements or notes thereto.
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Board of Directors and Shareholders of International Flavors & Fragrances Inc.
Opinions on the Financial Statements and Internal Control over Financial Reporting
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. and its subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, and the related consolidated statements of (loss) income and comprehensive loss, of shareholders’ equity and of cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2023, including the related notes and financial statement schedule listed in the index appearing under Item 15(a)(2) (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). We also have audited the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).
In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2023 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Also in our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the COSO.
Basis for Opinions
The Company’s management is responsible for these consolidated financial statements, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting appearing under Item 9A. Our responsibility is to express opinions on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud, and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.
Our audits of the consolidated financial statements included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.
Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance w
Showing the first 8K of 342K characters. Open the full section
Item 16. FORM 10-K SUMMARY.
None.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
| INTERNATIONAL FLAVORS & FRAGRANCES INC. | ||||||||
| By: | /s/ Glenn Richter | |||||||
| Name: | Glenn Richter | |||||||
| Title: | Executive Vice President, Chief Financial & Business Transformation Officer |
Dated: February 28, 2024
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated:
| Signature | Title | Date | ||||||||||||
| /s/ J. Erik Fyrwald | Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal Executive Officer) | February 28, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| J. Erik Fyrwald | ||||||||||||||
| /s/ Glenn Richter | Executive Vice President, Chief Financial & Business Transformation Officer (Principal Financial Officer) | February 28, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Glenn Richter | ||||||||||||||
| /s/ Beril Yildiz | Senior Vice President, Corporate Controller and Chief Accounting Officer (Principal Accounting Officer) | February 28, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Beril Yildiz | ||||||||||||||
| /s/ Roger W. Ferguson, Jr. | Chairman of the Board, Director | February 28, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Roger W. Ferguson, Jr. | ||||||||||||||
| /s/ Kathryn J. Boor | Director | February 28, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Kathryn J. Boor | ||||||||||||||
| /s/ Barry A. Bruno | Director | February 28, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Barry A. Bruno | ||||||||||||||
| /s/ Mark J. Costa | Director | February 28, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Mark J. Costa | ||||||||||||||
| /s/ Carol Anthony (John) Davidson | Director | February 28, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Carol Anthony (John) Davidson | ||||||||||||||
| /s/ John F. Ferraro | Director | February 28, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| John F. Ferraro | ||||||||||||||
| /s/ Christina Gold | Director | February 28, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Christina Gold | ||||||||||||||
| /s/ Gary Hu | Director | February 28, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Gary Hu | ||||||||||||||
| /s/ Dawn C. Willoughby | Director | February 28, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Dawn C. Willoughby | ||||||||||||||
| /s/ Kevin O’Byrne | Director | February 28, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Kevin O’Byrne |
INTERNATIONAL FLAVORS & FRAGRANCES INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
SCHEDULE II — VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS AND RESERVES
(IN MILLIONS)
| For the Year Ended December 31, 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balance at beginning of period | Additions (deductions) charged to costs and expenses | Acquisitions | Accounts written off | Translation adjustments | Other | Balance at end of period | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Allowance for doubtful accounts | $ | 53 | $ | 9 | $ | — | $ | (11) | $ | 1 | $ | — | $ | 52 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Valuation allowance on credit and operating loss carryforwards and other net deferred tax assets | 262 | 76 | — | — | (23) | 9 | 324 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| For the Year Ended December 31, 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balance at beginning of period | Additions charged to costs and expenses | Acquisitions | Accounts written off | Translation adjustments | Other | Balance at end of period | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Allowance for doubtful accounts | $ | 46 | $ | 19 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | (12) | $ | — | $ | 53 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Valuation allowance on credit and operating loss carryforwards and other net deferred tax assets | 232 | 51 | — | — | (21) | — | 262 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| For the Year Ended December 31, 2021 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balance at beginning of period | Additions charged to costs and expenses | Acquisitions | Accounts written off | Translation adjustments | Other**(1)** | Balance at end of period | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Allowance for doubtful accounts | $ | 21 | $ | 6 | $ | — | $ | (1) | $ | — | $ | 20 | $ | 46 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Valuation allowance on credit and operating loss carryforwards and other net deferred tax assets | 257 | (18) | 9 | — | (16) | — | 232 |
(1)The amount relates to adjustment to allowances for bad debts as a result of purchase price allocation related to the Merger with N&B.
S-1