Solvay announces the future Executive Leadership Team for new standalone SOLVAY
November 03 2023 - 2:01AM
Solvay announces the future Executive Leadership Team for new
standalone SOLVAY
Press releaseRegulated
informationInside information
Solvay announces the future Executive Leadership Team for new
standalone SOLVAY
- Executives bring decades of
expertise to drive market leadership, cost and process excellence,
energy transition and capital discipline
- Appointments effective upon
completion of planned separation
Brussels, November 3, 2023
Solvay today announced the future Executive
Leadership Team of SOLVAY, effective upon completion of the planned
separation of Solvay into two companies – SOLVAY and SYENSQO –
which is on track to be completed in December 2023.
Nicolas Boël, Chairman of Solvay’s Board of
Directors, said “This is a pivotal moment for Solvay as we prepare
to launch two champions led by two outstanding teams, bringing
unique expertise to propel each company into the future. Following
a rigorous search to identify the profiles best suited to each
company, we are proud to announce the leaders. They are a
talented group at the top of their fields who will advance our new
companies and unleash value for shareholders, customers and
employees.”
Dr. Ilham Kadri, CEO of Solvay, said, “Today, we
launch a new legacy of leadership for the 21st century. We are
bringing best-in-class teams together to reflect the extraordinary
strength and opportunities for each company. I am proud to see that
people whom I have been personally mentoring and growing in the
past few years will lead the next chapter of SOLVAY’s history,
while the incoming managers from industry-leading organizations
will broaden and augment the execution. Together, their track
records make them uniquely qualified to launch THE new industry
leader in Essential Chemicals, while embracing the values we have
forged over 160 years of existence.”
Philippe Kehren, Incoming CEO of SOLVAY, said,
“When Ernest Solvay invented a radically new industrial process for
the production of soda ash nearly 160 years ago, his technological
breakthrough laid the foundation for our great company. The new
SOLVAY will be positioned to carry on this legacy of mastering the
elements that are essential for a sustainable world. As a
standalone company, SOLVAY has tremendous opportunities. I look
forward to working closely with this world-class team as we
continue to live Ernest Solvay’s legacy of bringing the
greatest minds together to advance societal progress.”
SOLVAY will focus its strategy on
enhancing its process expertise and cost leadership to maximize
cash generation. It will comprise leading mono-technology
businesses including Soda Ash, Peroxides, Silica, Coatis and
Special Chem, which generated approximately €5.6 bn in net sales in
2022. These technologies are proven to be essential across a
number of attractive and resilient end markets and will benefit
from the company’s focused approach.
SOLVAY’s activities are organized in Global
Business Units led by world-class professionals, comprising Carlos
Silveira for Peroxides, An Nuyttens for Silica & Special Chem
and Daniela Manique for Coatis. Etienne Galan will take over at the
helm of GBU Soda Ash & Derivatives after the spinoff. They will
report directly to the CEO. The company will operate with global
business leaders located close to their markets and customers. In
the headquarters, a strong and focused team will drive excellence
in operations and will help Solvay thrive as a process-driven
benchmark for the industry.
The following individuals will serve on the
Executive Leadership Team of SOLVAY:
- Philippe Kehren, currently
President and Head of Sustainability of the Soda Ash &
Derivatives global business unit at Solvay, will serve as Chief
Executive Officer. He is an industrial authority with a 30-year
cross-functional experience acquired in multiple management
roles. At the helm of the Soda Ash & Derivatives business
since 2020, Mr. Kehren transformed the business, which has resulted
in strong cash generation, margins and growth, reinforcing its
global leadership while speeding up the Company’s energy
transition. He accelerated the reinvention of the Solvay process
through cutting-edge innovation to improve the competitiveness and
sustainability of production. He joined Solvay in 2012 to lead
business development in Energy Services, and later oversaw the
successful turnaround of the European Soda Ash business. He also
managed clean energy production and led transformation projects and
customer relations in the EMEA region. Prior to Solvay, Mr. Kehren
served in various management roles at Rhodia.
- Alexandre Blum, currently
Finance Director, Soda Ash & Derivatives will serve as Chief
Financial Officer. He was previously Group Controlling
Director at Solvay. He plays a pivotal role in the financial
management of the Group and in the profound transformation of
Solvay’s Soda Ash activity. He joined Solvay in 1997 and has
20 years of experience in finance across multiple disciplines
including strategic planning, resource allocation, shared-services
implementation and investor relations. While at Solvay, Mr. Blum
has gained significant international experience having worked
across France, Russia, China, Singapore, Belgium and has exhibited
a steadfast commitment to talent development.
- Lanny Duvall, previously
Chief Operations Officer at Heubach, will serve as Chief Operations
Officer. He has three decades of chemical industry experience and a
track record of creating organizations that deliver superior
safety, quality, and productivity results. Mr. Duvall has lived and
worked in the US, China, and Europe and has led the supply chain
function through carve outs and integrations. Prior to his
experience with Heubach, Mr. Duvall served in various roles within
the chemical industry at global industry leaders including
Nouryon/AkzoNobel, Arkema S.A., BlueStar Group, Celanese, and Rohm
& Haas. He has extensive experience in all aspects of
operations management, including manufacturing, procurement and
global supply chain.
- Dr. Mark van Bijsterveld,
previously Chief HR Officer at Signify N.V., will serve as Chief
People Officer. He is a seasoned HR executive with extensive
experience building an engaged workforce at brand-led sustainable
companies. Dr. van Bijsterveld works with leaders to build on their
strengths and co-create an agile organization with a culture of
belonging that has a positive impact on the lives of people
and society. While at Signify, he created a strong standalone
organization, optimizing the company’s operating model and
advancing the transformation towards carbon neutrality in 2020.
Prior to that, he served in HR roles at multinational corporations
Royal Philips N.V., Microsoft and Deloitte.
- Lisa Brown, currently an
Executive Business Leader at Solvay, will serve as General Counsel.
Ms. Brown has over 20 years of professional experience leading a
range of both public and private companies, having served as Chief
Legal Officer of Sibelco Group and before that, WABCO as well as
SSL International, after starting her career in leading law firms.
Having built extensive global experience gained from large-scale
acquisitions, divestitures and joint ventures with expertise in
healthcare, automotive and mining industries. Ms Brown also brings
expertise in sustainability, corporate governance, effective risk
management and managing through complex regulatory environments.
Over the course of her career, she has demonstrated the ability to
advance companies’ strategic plan through leading, negotiating and
implementing multiple acquisitions, divestments, collaborations and
joint ventures globally. In addition to her executive role,
Ms. Brown serves as an Independent Director and chair of the
Nominating and Remuneration Committee of the Board and PI
Industries Limited.
The separation remains subject to the
Extraordinary Shareholders' Meeting approval. Until the separation
is complete, Dr. Ilham Kadri will remain CEO and Karim Hajjar will
remain CFO of Solvay.
- Solvay announces the future Executive Leadership Team for new
standalone SOLVAY
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