United States. Lanxess announced the retirement of President and CEO Antonis Papadourakis. Frederique van Baarle, Member of the Board of Directors and Chief Labor Officer, assumed the role of President and Chief Executive Officer for the company's Americas region on October 1.
"It has been an honor to have been part of the world-class Lanxess team and to have the opportunity to work alongside so many incredible colleagues," said Papadourakis, who officially retired on September 30, 2023 after more than eight years as President and Chief Executive Officer of Lanxess Corporation.
"I am eternally grateful for the wonderful experiences and professional and personal relationships developed during my tenure here. The team and future operations within the region have a bright future with Frederique van Baarle at the helm."
In April 2023, the Lanxess board of directors welcomed van Baarle as a board member charged with overseeing the company's operations in the Americas region, as well as chief labor officer.
Originally from the Netherlands, van Baarle recently moved from its global headquarters in Cologne, Germany, to the Americas region, whose headquarters are in Pittsburgh, marking the first time in the company's history that a board member resides outside of Germany.
van Baarle has held various management and leadership positions at the company since joining in 2011 and brings more than 20 years of experience in the global chemical industry to his new role.
He previously led the company's Performance Materials business unit, which was spun off into a joint venture in April 2023, after leading a regional Engineering Plastics business line and holding various management positions at Royal DSM before joining Lanxess.
"I am very excited for the opportunity to lead the team here in America, which is becoming an increasingly important region for our industry and for Lanxess," van Baarle said.
"I am incredibly grateful for the leadership Antonis has shown over the past few months during this transition, and I look forward to meeting so many colleagues and building on the well-established safety and sustainability programs that already exist."
Papadourakis, who joined the company as CEO in 2015, is retiring after a career of more than 35 years in the chemical industry.
