Amsterdam, the Netherlands - September 27, 2010, Amsterdam, the Netherlands - AkzoNobel, a chemicals company, announced that it has formed its executive committee and appointed Marjan Oudeman to lead human resources and organizational development, effective January 1, 2011.
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Joining AkzoNobel to form part of the new Executive Committee is Marjan Oudeman. Once named as one of the Wall Street Journal’s Women to Watch in Europe, Ms. Oudeman previously worked for Tata Steel Limited, where she was Divisional Director of Strip Products. She will be responsible for Human Resources and Organizational Development.
The members of the Executive Committee will officially take up their positions on January 1, 2011.
Hans Wijers, CEO
Hans Wijers is Chairman of the Board of Management of AkzoNobel. Mr. Wijers is a former Minister for Economic Affairs in the Dutch government—a position he held for four years—while prior to joining AkzoNobel in 2002 he was Senior Partner with the Boston Consulting Group and Chairman of BCG’s Dutch office.
A graduate of the University of Groningen and Assistant Professor of Economics at the Erasmus University of Rotterdam in the Netherlands (where he received his PhD in economics), Mr. Wijers has participated in two think-tanks for Dutch Ministers and he was senior consultant/partner with various Dutch consulting firms.
He also holds a number of prominent positions outside AkzoNobel. Mr. Wijers is non-executive director at Royal Dutch Shell. He is also Chairman of the Oranje Fonds and Chairman of the Ubbo Emmius Fund Foundation at the University of Groningen. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Concertgebouw, and he is also a member of the European Roundtable of Industrialists.
Keith Nichols, CFO
Keith Nichols joined AkzoNobel in December 2005 from Corus Group plc where he held the position of Group Treasurer, bringing extensive international finance experience. Prior to joining Corus, he held a number of senior finance positions within the TNT Post Group.
Also joining the Executive Committee:
Leif Darner, Performance Coatings
Tex Gunning, Decorative Paints
Rob Frohn, Specialty Chemicals
Marjan Oudeman, HR and Organizational Development
Graeme Armstrong, Research, Development & Innovation
Sven Dumoulin, General Counsel
Werner Fuhrmann, Supply Chain/Sourcing
Business unit changes:
Richard Stuckes, currently managing director of Decorative Paints UK, Ireland and South Africa, will be appointed as Managing Director AkzoNobel Decorative Paints Europe. He will run the entire AkzoNobel Decorative Paints business in Europe.
Frank Sherman, currently Managing Director of Surface Chemistry, will focus on his role as Country Director for AkzoNobel in North America, based in Chicago. Mr. Sherman has been instrumental in setting up the North American leadership team and will continue full-time in that role. On April 1, 2011, after leading Surface Chemistry through a restructuring for more than seven years, he will step down from the MD role.
Bob Margevich, at present Managing Director of Functional Chemicals based in Amersfoort, the Netherlands, will be appointed Managing Director of Surface Chemistry, based in Chicago. After three years in Functional Chemicals, Mr. Margevich will return to the United States to lead Surface Chemistry from April 1, 2011.
Jan Svärd will be appointed Managing Director of Functional Chemicals, effective March 1, 2011, based in Amersfoort, the Netherlands. Mr. Svärd is currently managing the Pulp and Paper Chemicals business.
Ruud Joosten, currently Managing Director of Decorative Paints Northern and Eastern Europe, will be appointed Managing Director of Pulp and Paper Chemicals effective February 1, 2011, based in Gothenburg.
Knut Schwalenberg will be appointed Managing Director of Industrial Chemicals, effective January 1, based in Amersfoort, the Netherlands. He will succeed Werner Fuhrmann, who has been appointed to AkzoNobel’s new Executive Committee, with responsibility for Supply Chain/Sourcing. ■