Belgian chemicals group Solvay said on Tuesday it was appointing Ilham Kadri, chief executive of U.S. hygiene technology and services company Diversey, as its replacement for outgoing CEO Jean-Pierre Clamadieu.
Clamadieu, who has overseen Solvay's shift in focus to more specialized, higher margin businesses since his appointment in 2012, was appointed chairman of French utility Engie in May.
Solvay said Kadri would join the company on January 1 and would spend two months transitioning with Clamadieu before taking over.
A Moroccan and French national, Kadri has been CEO and president of Diversey since 2013, overseeing its divestment to a private equity fund, Solvay said.
Kadri previously worked for Shell-Basell, UCB-Cytec, Huntsman and Dow Chemical.