Category: Community

The inclusion of several high-profile Russian business leaders on an EU sanctions list in March has led to round of high-level resignations from leading Russian fertilizer producers.

Haldor Topsoe has appointed Elena Scaltritti as the company’s new chief commercial officer. She will take up her new position no later than July 1st, 2022. She has previously been executive vice president at Korea’s SONGWON Industrial Group, where she was responsible for the group’s commercial activities.

Ken Seitz has been named as Nutrien’s interim CEO following the resignation of the former CEO and president Mayo Schmidt on the 4th of January. Schmidt had only been in post for eight months, having taken over from Chuck Magro in April 2021. Mr Seitz was the company’s executive vice president and CEO of potash prior to the announcement. His appointment is a transitional arrangement.

KP Engineering, LP specialising in the design and execution of customized EPC solutions for the refining, syngas, hydrogen and renewable fuels industries, has named Bill Preston as its new president and Chief Executive Officer. Based in Houston, Preston has served as KPE’s president and Chief Operating Officer since 2015. During that time, he was responsible for leading significant growth and upholding KPE’s core operational values of respect and integrity. As CEO, he will be responsible for the overall direction, execution and global expansion of the company. Preston has 34 years of experience leading and growing technology-based businesses in the engineering, oil and gas, energy and chemical production sectors. Prior to joining KP Engineering, he served in vice president roles for companies including a division of Texaco and ChevronTexaco, Linc Energy, Synthesis Energy Systems and GreatPoint Energy. He also served as CEO of The Energy Capital Group, developing syngas and chemical production facilities in the petrochemical and oil refining industries. He is currently the Executive Director of the Global Syngas Technologies Council, the hydrogen and syngas industry’s premier trade association.

Nutrien Ltd has announced that Mayo Schmidt has left his position as president and CEO of Nutrien and has resigned from the Board. Ken Seitz , Executive Vice President and CEO of Potash, has been named the company’s interim CEO. Seitz brings extensive global leadership experience in the agriculture and mining sectors and is well-positioned to progress the company’s stated strategy and lead the integrated business during the transition.

CF Industries announced several interlinked board changes in mid-October. Current chair Stephen Furbacher is to retire at the company’s annual stockholders meeting in May next year. In a coordinated move, the board elected Stephen Hagge – currently an independent director of CF Industries – as Mr Furbacher’s successor with effect from the start of January 2022. The board also elected John Eaves, another independent director and the executive chairman of Arch Resources, as incoming chair of the company’s compensation and management development committee. He is taking over this role from the committee’s former chair Mr Hagge. This appointment also takes effect from the beginning of 2022.

Borealis has announced the appointment of Rainer Höfling as CEO of its International Fertilizer & Melamine business, as of 1st October 2018. This business unit comprises approximately 2,000 employees. The dedicated management team under the lead of Rainer Höfling will provide higher agility and increased customer focus for the business. Borealis runs fertilizer production sites in Austria, France, the Netherlands and Belgium and melamine production in Austria and Germany.

Anglo American plc has announced a number of senior leadership changes. Seamus French has decided to leave Anglo American at the end of 2021 after 14 years with the company and will be replaced as CEO of Bulk Commodities by Themba Mkhwanazi , currently CEO of Kumba Iron Ore. Mpumi Zikalala , currently managing director of De Beers Managed Operations, has been appointed as CEO of Kumba. Both appointments will take effect on 1st January 2022. Mpumi’s successor at De Beers Managed Operations will be confirmed in due course.

The Sulphur Institute (TSI) has appointed Connor Dyck of Koch Sulfur as the chair of its board. The appointment was announced in August and follows TSI’s annual general meeting held in May.

Former Danish Minister of Climate, Energy, and Gender Equality, Lykke Friis , has been elected to the Blue World Technologies’ board of directors. The company says that she will support its “journey towards providing a strong green alternative to combustion engines and diesel generators for industries around the world.”