AkzoNobel CFO Castella Takes Temporary Leave

AkzoNobel NV said that Maelys Castella, chief financial officer and member of the board of management will step down due to health reasons. Castella is now on a leave of absence.

Following an anticipated recovery, Maëlys is expected to return to AkzoNobel in a senior management role.

The company has announced current group controller Hans De Vriese as interim CFO while initiating a full internal and external search for a permanent replacement.

Hans De Vriese joined AkzoNobel in 2009, initially as corporate director control, before taking over as group controller in 2015. Prior to joining AkzoNobel Hans held a number of senior finance roles at General Motors, including CFO Asia Pacific.

“It is with regret that we have to announce Maelys is now on a leave of absence due to health reasons. We wish her well and look forward to welcoming her back once she has fully recovered,” said Antony Burgmans, chairman of the supervisory board.

“Maelys has been an integral part of establishing the solid financial foundation and culture of operational excellence that AkzoNobel now has in place. We wish her a speedy recovery and look forward to having her back on our team once fully recovered. In Hans De Vriese we have an extremely capable executive with extensive experience, who will ensure continuity at this time as we embark on a full internal and external search for a permanent replacement,” added Thierry Vanlancker, CEO, AkzoNobel.