AkzoNobel Changes Executive Committee; Appoints New COO

AkzoNobel NV announced that it has made changes to its executive committee. This change is designed to drive operational excellence, increase customer focus, and build further momentum and speed into the organisation. Recently, the company announced the appointment of new CEO.

In the new executive committee, the following roles will continue:

Chief executive officer (Thierry Vanlancker) Chief financial officer (Maelys Castella) General counsel (Sven Dumoulin) Chief human resources officer (Marten Booisma)

Changes to the executive committee following the new set-up:

Chief operating officer (Ruud Joosten, former head of decorative paints) Integrated supply chain leader (David Allen, elevated to executive committee) In addition, Werner Fuhrmann will return to AkzoNobel in the role of head of speciality chemicals 

Effective immediately, Ruud Joosten is named chief operating officer (COO) paints & coatings. Working closely with CEO Thierry Vanlancker, the COO will lead the performance coatings and decorative paints businesses. He will be responsible for accelerating growth, the execution of the company's strategy, and the performance to deliver on the agreed targets.

In addition, the direct responsibility for the paints & coatings operations - including all manufacturing, supply chain and logistics, site management, health & safety (HSE&S), and procurement will now fall under the responsibility of the integrated supply chain leader, David Allen.

“We aim to build on the successful foundation of operational excellence that AkzoNobel has laid over the past years. This new executive committee will be faster to drive integrated business planning and quick decision making. It will also enable optimal alignment between business needs and operational and supply chain delivery. The appointment of a new head of speciality chemicals will be made soon,” said Thierry Vanlancker, CEO.

“I am also delighted to welcome Werner Fuhrmann back to head up speciality chemicals and lead on the separation. His unique knowledge of the company and industry experience, having worked for almost 40 years at AkzoNobel, including running the speciality chemicals business prior to my joining last year, make him an ideal person to lead the separation. It’s great to have him back on board,” added Vanlancker.