Solvay’s Board of Directors has appointed Ilham Kadri as Chairman of the Executive Committee, member of the Board of Directors and CEO of the Group, with effect from March 1, 2019. On that date, Ilham Kadri will officially succeed Jean-Pierre Clamadieu, who will then relinquish his executive duties and his mandate as director of Solvay.
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Ilham Kadri will join Solvay on January 1, 2019 and spend two months transitioning with Jean-Pierre Clamadieu, before taking the leadership role and continuing Solvay’s transformation strategy.
Ilham Kadri is CEO and President of U.S. hygiene technology and services company Diversey and has led, since 2013, its turnaround, carve-out and divestment to a private equity fund. She brings to Solvay her vast international experience having worked for top multinationals like Shell-Basell, UCB-Cytec, Huntsman and Dow Chemical across the United States, Europe, the Middle East and in Asia.
"Solvay’s Board of Directors unanimously approved the selection of Ilham Kadri as head of the Solvay Group. Her knowledge of our strategic markets, strongly customer-focused mindset and her capacities to build a galvanizing vision make her the leader that the Group needs to accelerate its cultural transformation and unleash its growth potential. She can count on a solid and experienced Solvay management team to fulfill this mission," said Nicolas Boel, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Solvay.
"I wish to thank the Board of Directors for its confidence in me. I’m looking forward to joining the Group whose passion for science, its values and transformation echo my own personal and professional journey. Early next year, I will work alongside Solvay’s teams to accelerate value creation based on innovation, collaboration, a customer centric culture and a clear sense of purpose. These fundamentals will guide my actions at Solvay," said Ilham Kadri.
A holder of Moroccan and French nationalities, Ilham Kadri has an engineering degree from the European School of Chemistry, Polymers and Materials Science in Strasbourg, France, and a PhD in macromolecular physico-chemistry from Louis Pasteur University in Strasbourg.
Solvay is an advanced materials and specialty chemicals company, committed to developing chemistry that addresses key societal challenges. Solvay innovates and partners with customers worldwide in many diverse end markets. Its products are used in planes, cars, batteries, smart and medical devices, as well as in mineral and oil and gas extraction, enhancing efficiency and sustainability. Its lightweighting materials promote cleaner mobility, its formulations optimize the use of resources and its performance chemicals improve air and water quality. Solvay is headquartered in Brussels with around 26,800 employees in 61 countries.
