Aliaxis appoints Laurent Lenoir as new CEO Yves Mertens to take on senior advisory role to the chairman of the board
Brussels – 11 February, 2015
The board of directors of Aliaxis, a leading global manufacturer and distributor of plastic fluid handling systems, announces today that Laurent Lenoir will join the group as its new Chief Executive Officer. From 1 June onwards, Laurent Lenoir will take up his duties and current CEO Yves Mertens will take on a senior advisory role to the chairman of the board. Chairman Olivier van der Rest comments: “I look back on Yves’ commitment with great respect and thank him on behalf of the board of directors for the many years of outstanding service to the company, first as Chief Financial Officer and subsequently, since May 2009, as Chief Executive Officer. Yves has led Aliaxis through the global financial and economic crisis and initiated the reshaping of the group with a view to its long-term success. He has been instrumental in further strengthening the group’s geographical diversification. The recent joint venture with Ashirvad in India and the acquisition of Vinidex in Australia are illustrative of the successful breakthroughs Aliaxis has made in Asia and Australasia while many other initiatives elsewhere in the world have been contributing to the group’s further development.” The Chairman continues: “Today, Aliaxis is ready to embark on a journey towards a more integrated global industrial group. Supported and encouraged by the board, I have the privilege to welcome Laurent as the new CEO of Aliaxis. At the threshold of this new era, we are convinced he has the right mix of skills, international experience and industrial expertise, as well as a proven ability to grow businesses in complex and challenging market environments.” Laurent Lenoir says: “I am looking forward to leading the group, working together with the Aliaxis Global Leadership Team and the group’s 16,000 plus employees around the world, in a joint effort to create long-term value for its stakeholders. My previous experiences will be instrumental in pursuing the ongoing transformation process and growing the group’s leadership positions in its various markets.” Laurent Lenoir (49), previously CEO of Taminco, a multinational chemical company with operations in the US, Europe and China, graduated with a Master’s degree in Life Sciences from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Agronomie in Montpellier (France). He started his career at UCB and has gained over 20 years of experience in the chemical industry. Throughout his career, the French national, who has now been living in Belgium for more than 7 years, has been successful at growing businesses, working and living for several years in Asia and North America. These assignments allowed him to build a strong track record in managing and developing complex global organizations.
About Aliaxis Aliaxis is a leading global manufacturer and distributor of primarily plastic fluid handling systems, generating 1 €2.85 billion in annual sales. The privately owned Belgian group is present in over 40 countries, with more than 100 manufacturing and commercial entities, and employs 16,300 people. Together, these entities account for more than 100 years in business and more than 50 years of experience in plastics built in Europe and North-America, but also increasingly in Latin America, Australasia and Asia. The group serves customers in residential and commercial construction, as well as in industrial and public infrastructure applications. Aliaxis’ well-known brands such as Ashirvad, Durman, Friatec, IPEX, Nicoll and Vinidex have a strong identity and are firmly established in the geographic markets they serve. Thanks to the entrepreneurial spirit of its people, balanced with the strengths, knowhow and international reach of the group, Aliaxis continues to develop and improve its positions in key construction applications throughout the world. More on www.aliaxis.com Press Contact: Françoise Vanthemsche – Group Communications Director + 32 2 775 50 86 – fvanthemsche@aliaxis.com
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Annualized sales after Vinidex acquisition (pro forma)