From the Sector

DyStar, a leading specialty chemical company with a heritage of more than a century in product development and innovation, announced the appointment of Ruan Cunfan to its Board of Directors, effective 20 February 2026. His appointment and the conclusion of Yao Jianfang’s tenure mark a seamless transition, reinforcing stability while opening doors to new opportunities.

Ruan Cunfan graduated from Claremont McKenna College in the United States, holding dual bachelor’s degrees in Economics & Accounting and Chemistry. He currently serves as a Director and Assistant to the Chairman of Zhejiang Longsheng Group Co., Ltd., and as Assistant to Chairman of Longsheng Group Holdings (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. He brings extensive experiences, having built a distinguished career overseeing its Group real estate investment strategy, operations, and management. His appointment reflects the company’s commitment to strengthening governance and driving long-term strategic growth globally. At the same time, Yao Jianfang will be stepping down from the Board. 

“The appointment of Ruan Cunfan marks an important step in strengthening our Board for the future,” said Ruan WeiXiang, Chairman, Board of Directors, DyStar Group. “His visionary expertise and innovative leadership will be instrumental as we continue to advance DyStar’s internationalization process. This transition reflects our commitment to leadership continuity, while also embracing new opportunities aligned with our long-term vision for responsible and resilient development.” 

“We are delighted to welcome Ruan Cunfan to the Board at this pivotal moment in the Group’s journey,” said Xu Yalin, Managing Director, President and CEO of DyStar Group. “His fresh perspective and outstanding innovative capabilities will help us further expand our impact, while embedding sustainability deeply into every facet of our strategy. At the same time, we pay tribute to Yao Jianfang, thanking him for his past contributions to the Board, and we look forward to his continued insights and guidance at the shareholder level in support of DyStar’s growth.”

DyStar Group remains committed as it embarks on its next phase of growth. The Group looks forward to building stronger partnerships, advancing sustainability initiatives, and delivering enhanced value across its global operations.

Luxembourg-based OCSiAl, the global leader in industrial synthesis of graphene nanotubes, announces the appointment of Antigone Loudiadis as a director.
 
An investment entity owned by Ms. Loudiadis made a substantial investment in OCSiAl at the end of 2025. This investment followed an investment earlier that year by a Luxembourg “club” of investors.
 
Ms. Loudiadis founded and led Rothesay Life, one of the UK’s leading pension insurers. Prior to the establishment of Rothesay Life, Ms. Loudiadis was a partner at Goldman Sachs International and cohead of its European Investment Banking Division. Over the course of her 30-year career as a senior financial executive, she led complex structured and M&A transactions and managed senior relationships with governments and multinational institutions.
 
“I am very excited to be joining OCSiAl,” said Ms. Loudiadis. “It’s cutting-edge deep tech that takes established industries—like tires and coatings—to a new level. But it also goes hand in hand with the next step in the development of EVs, data centers, AI, robotics and aerospace.”
 
“I am delighted to have Addy on the board. She brings a rare combination of deep capital markets expertise and firsthand experience in building and governing large, capital-intensive businesses,” said Peter Cuneo, Chairman of the OCSiAl Board. “As OCSiAl accelerates its industrial scale-up and prepares for significantly larger long-term investments, her perspective will be invaluable in shaping our capital strategy, strengthening governance, and engaging with a broader base of global investors.”
 
As advanced materials increasingly take on strategic importance alongside energy and capital, OCSiAl’s current phase of industrial scale-up places the company at the center of this shift.