The supervisory board of Royal DSM, a global science-based company in nutrition, health and sustainable living, announces the upcoming succession of CEO Feike Sijbesma. After 20 years on the managing board and almost 13 years as CEO, Sijbesma will formally hand over his responsibilities as CEO on February 15, 2020 to his managing board colleagues Geraldine Matchett and Dimitri de Vreeze. He will remain employed by DSM until May 1, 2020.
Under Sijbesma’s leadership, DSM has gone through a significant transformation, from a bulk chemicals company into one which focuses on nutrition, health and sustainable living, according to the company. Over more than a decade DSM has significantly expanded its nutrition business, divested its non-core bulk chemical activities and upgraded the materials portfolio.
After a thorough process and external benchmarking, including the advice and input from an international search firm, the DSM supervisory board appoints Matchett and de Vreeze in a dual leadership as co-CEOs. The dual leadership structure is reportedly rooted in their long history of collaboration. In conjunction with their co-CEO roles, Matchett will retain her responsibilities as CFO and de Vreeze will hold the COO responsibilities.
As co-CEO, Matchett will focus on financial management and capital markets communication, capital allocation, talent and culture development and digital strategy and new ways of working. de Vreeze will focus on operational delivery, SHE, customer centricity, driving growth and efficiency and innovation and R&D programs. Matchett joined DSM as CFO and managing board member in 2014. de Vreeze joined DSM in 1990, has held multiple business roles and has been managing board member since 2013.
To facilitate a smooth transfer and continuity to the new co-CEO leadership structure, the DSM supervisory board will ask the shareholders at the AGM in May 2020 to re-appoint Chairman Rob Routs for a final two years term.
For more information, visit: www.dsm.com
