A transition of leadership of Arkema Inc. is effective November 1 with Richard Rowe retiring and Anthony O’Donovan replacing him as president and CEO, Arkema Inc. In this role, O’Donovan will oversee Arkema activities in the U.S., Mexico and Canada. In addition, he will be the regional head of Arkema Group in North America.
O’Donovan brings to his new role diverse, global experience. He has held a range of manufacturing, supply chain and business leadership roles for Degussa Specialty Chemicals in South Africa and for FMC in Canada and the U.S. O’Donovan joined Arkema Inc. in 2013 as global supply chain director for fluorochemicals. Most recently, he served as regional group president for Arkema’s fluorochemicals business in the Americas. He holds a bachelor’s degree and a Ph.D., both in chemical engineering, from the University of Cape Town in South Africa.
Rowe has held a range of global business leadership roles for Bostik Findley, Atofina Inc. and Arkema Inc. Since 2015, he has been responsible for Arkema’s activities across much of the Americas, driving strategic growth through both organic and M&A projects. During his tenure as president and CEO, the North American region reportedly delivered improvements in safety performance, talent development and driving new business development. He helped launch initiatives including the Arkema Arena Awards, commercial excellence initiatives and an Executive Leadership Development Program. Rowe has been a board member for the American Chemistry Council (ACC) and served on ACC’s global strategy, Responsible Care and board sustainability committees. He has been an executive committee member of the Society of the Chemical Industry.
For more information, visit: www.arkema.com
