Wikipedia

Ilham Kadri

Ilham Kadri (born February 14, 1969)[1] is a Moroccan business executive with a scientific background. Between 2019 and 2023, she was the CEO of Solvay, a Belgian chemicals company. After the split of the company in December 2023, she continued as CEO of Syensqo, where she is also Chair of the Executive Leadership Team, and member of the Board of Directors.[2]

Ilham Kadri
Born (1969-02-14) February 14, 1969 (age 55)
Casablanca, Morocco
EducationPhD in macromolecular physical chemistry
Alma materECPM Strasbourg (ex-École des Hauts Polymères de Strasbourg)
OccupationSyensqo CEO

Early life and education edit

Kadri was born and grew up in Casablanca, Morocco.[3][1] She studied engineering at ECPM Strasbourg (formerly École des Hauts Polymères de Strasbourg), majoring in polymer physics and chemistry.[4] Kadri obtained her PhD in macromolecular physical chemistry in 1997.[5]

Career edit

1997-2007 edit

Kadri started her career as a Development and Technical Service Manager at Royal Dutch Shell in Belgium, where she was part of a team that invented a synthetic bottle stopper made from a foamed thermoplastic elastomer to prevent the spread of fungi and bacteria from cork stoppers to stored liquids.[6] She then joined LyondellBasell in France, where she worked in Sales and Global Key Account Management.[7]

In 2002, Kadri took on a Product Management and Marketing role at UCB-Cytec in Belgium, until UCB sold its chemicals business.[8]

In 2005, she moved to the Huntsman Corporation in Switzerland to become marketing director of the global epoxy business divested to private equity.[8]

2007-2013 edit

In 2007, Kadri joined Rohm and Haas as marketing director of its paint, coatings and construction businesses until Dow Chemical Company acquired the company in 2009.[7]

In 2010, she became marketing director for Dow Coating Materiales. She was then appointed as General Manager Middle East and Africa (MEA) for Dow's Advanced Materials division and Commercial Director EMEA for Dow Water and Process Solutions.[9]

While at Dow, Kadri built water purification plants in the United Arab Emirates,[10] oversaw expansions in Kenya, Ghana and Nigeria,[11] and developed water projects in Kuwait, Morocco, Oman, Israel, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. She also launched the construction of Saudi Arabia's first reverse osmosis (RO) membrane manufacturing plant.[12]

2013- January 2019 edit

From 2013, Kadri became Senior Vice President and Officer for Sealed Air Corporation, and took on the role of President of Diversey Care,[13][14] the company's hygiene and cleaning business, which had suffered losses in the previous year. On arriving at Diversey Care, Kadri was tasked with the turnaround of falling sales and profits, which saw her lead reforms of the service division.[15]

She was also a key figure in Diversey Care focusing on a strategy of technological innovation. This includes the launch of the first global range of commercial cleaning robots across the US and Europe, and a digital food safety management platform that helps organizations to achieve regulatory compliance in the food industry. Originally based in the Netherlands, Kadri relocated to Sealed Air's new corporate headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina, when it opened in 2015.[16][1]

In early 2016, Kadri became Sealed Air's Digital Leader, responsible for Internet of Things (IoT) integration across the entire company – focusing on the IS digital architecture, external ecosystems acquisitions, digital monetisation and robotics.

In 2017, following the return to profitability, Diversey Care was acquired by Bain Capital for $3.2 billion and Ilham Kadri was appointed as President & CEO of the new business, Diversey.[17][18]

March 2019-2023 edit

In March 2019, Ilham Kadri became CEO of Solvay, where she had previously been an intern in Tavaux, France, in 1989. Her appointment was announced in October 2018.[19]

Under her first year as CEO, Solvay launched its new strategy G.R.O.W.,[20] the Solvay One Planet sustainability plan,[21][22] and its corporate purpose.[23] In 2020, Solvay, together with the King Baudouin Foundation, created the Solvay Solidarity Fund for employees and their families impacted by the Covid-19 crisis.[24][25][26]

Kadri was instrumental in the split of the company into the traditional Solvay and Syensqo materials unit. Syensqo was immediately after the split made part of the Bel 20 index.

Dec 2023-Present edit

In the new Syensqo spin-off, Kadri serves as Chief Executive Officer, as Chair of the Executive Leadership Team, and as member of the Board of Directors of Syensqo.[2]

Memberships edit

Kadri is an independent director at A.O. Smith Corporation and L’Oréal.[27]

She is a steering committee member of the European Round Table for Industry (ERT),[28] Executive Committee Chair of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD),[29][30] permanent member of the World Economic Forum’s International Business Council (WEF), as well as member of the Leadership Council of the Industry Transition Accelerator (ITA).[31][32]

She is the founder of the ISSA Hygieia Network,[33] which she and other female cleaning industry executives founded in 2015.

Kadri is a member of The B Team, a collective of global business and civil society leaders working to catalyze better business practices for the wellbeing of people and the planet.[34]

Awards and recognition edit

Personal life edit

She is married and has a son.[1]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d Leggett, Page (2016-06-04). "NC trend: Trash talk". Business North Carolina. Retrieved 2017-08-15.
  2. ^ a b "Syensqo Executive Leadership Team". Syensqo.com. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  3. ^ "CEOs Increasingly See Sustainability as Path to Profitability". Wall Street Journal. 12 October 2020.
  4. ^ "Ilham KADRI".
  5. ^ Etude de la distribution de sejour dans une extrudeuse bi-vis corotative et modelisation de la chimie aux interfaces (These de doctorat). Université Louis Pasteur (Strasbourg) (1971-2008). January 1997.
  6. ^ WO 2001002263A1, Emanuelle Coignoul, Ilham Kadri, "Synthetic bottle stopper", published 2000-07-04, assigned to Kraton Polymers Research B.V. 
  7. ^ a b "The Rise and Rise of Ilham Kadri".
  8. ^ a b "Ilham Kadri - Solvay - CEO".
  9. ^ "Dr Ilham Kadri - Environment - European Commission".
  10. ^ "Water Recycling Solutions Earn Dow Prestigious Middle East Award for Innovation in Sustainability".
  11. ^ Morgan, Jacob (19 February 2020). The Future Leader: 9 Skills and Mindsets to Succeed in the Next Decade. ISBN 9781119518389.
  12. ^ "Dow to Invest in Water Technology in Saudi Arabia" (Press release). 26 July 2011.
  13. ^ "Dr Ilham Kadri named president and CEO of Diversey". Australasia's Cleaning Industry and Environmental Technology Magazine. 2017-08-01. Retrieved 2021-02-11.
  14. ^ "Dr. Ilham Kadri Named President and CEO of Diversey". www.businesswire.com. 2017-08-01. Retrieved 2021-02-11.
  15. ^ Nichols, Greg. "The Internet of Clean: Diversey's plan to change commercial cleaning with connected technology". ZDNet. Retrieved 2017-08-07.
  16. ^ Peralta, Katherine (1 August 2017). "Charlotte exec named CEO of cleaning products company". Charlotte Observer. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  17. ^ Hunter, Lizzie (2 August 2017). "Dr Ilham Kadri named president and CEO of Diversey". INCLEAN Magazine. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
  18. ^ "Dr. Ilham Kadri Named President and CEO of Diversey". www.businesswire.com. August 2017. Retrieved 2017-08-07.
  19. ^ "UPDATE 1-Belgium's Solvay names Ilham Kadri to replace Clamadieu as CEO". Reuters. 9 October 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  20. ^ "Investegate |Solvay S.A. Announcements | Solvay S.A.: Solvay announces its G.R.O.W. strategy to drive growth, cash and returns". www.investegate.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-02-11.
  21. ^ S.A, Solvay (2020-02-26). "Solvay launches Solvay One Planet". GlobeNewswire News Room (Press release). Retrieved 2021-02-11.
  22. ^ Bugault, Dieter Holger and Olivia (2020-10-12). "CEOs Increasingly See Sustainability as Path to Profitability". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2021-02-11.
  23. ^ "Solvay unveils its Group purpose". WebWire. Retrieved 2021-02-11.
  24. ^ "SOLVAY SOLIDARITY (FUND)". KBF website. Retrieved 2024-04-09.
  25. ^ "Ilham Kadri, Directrice générale du Groupe Solvay". LaRef. Retrieved 2024-04-09.
  26. ^ "Solvay launches fund for employees". Reinforced plastics. Retrieved 2024-04-08.
  27. ^ "L'Oréal Group : Board Of Directors". L'Oréal. Retrieved 2021-02-18.
  28. ^ "Members". ERT. Retrieved 2021-02-18.
  29. ^ "Our Team". World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  30. ^ "World Business Council for Sustainable Development appoints first female chair". Eco-Business.com. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  31. ^ "European Round Table for Industry". ERT. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  32. ^ "COP28 Presidency, United Nations Climate Change, and Bloomberg Philanthropies Launch New Industrial Transition Accelerator for Heavy-Emitting Industries". Bloomberg. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  33. ^ "The Beginning". ISSA HYGIEIA NETWORK. Retrieved 2021-02-18.
  34. ^ "The B Team | Ilham Kadri, Joseph Kenner and Van Jones join The B Team". The B Team. Retrieved 2021-12-06.
  35. ^ "Most Powerful Women International". Fortune. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  36. ^ "Diversey Care President Wins Four Awards in 2016 Stevie Awards for Women in Business". CleanLink. 12 September 2016. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  37. ^ "Diversey President Wins Four Stevie Awards". ISSA. 20 November 2017. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  38. ^ "Ilham Kadri". Baker Hughes. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  39. ^ "Ilham Kadri, CEO Solvay". Les Rencontres Economiques. Retrieved 2024-03-22.

External links edit

  Media related to Ilham Kadri at Wikimedia Commons

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