From the Sector

The John Lewis Partnership announces the appointment of Jason Tarry as its seventh Chairman following Sharon White’s decision to step down at the end of her term.

Jason brings over 33 years of experience at Tesco where he was most recently the UK & Ireland CEO, a role he held for six years. His experience spans grocery, general merchandise and fashion in senior commercial, operational and general management positions, having joined the Tesco graduate programme in 1990.

In addition to delivering market leading grocery performance in the UK, he led the expansion of F&F Clothing across Europe as Group CEO. Jason is expected to take up the role in September, at which point Sharon will step down and support the transition as required.

Rita Clifton, Deputy Chairman and Chair of the Nomination Committee, said: “The Board extends its huge thanks to Sharon for successfully leading the Partnership through one of the most testing periods in its history - first Covid and then the cost of living crisis. She has faced into the toughest decisions and overseen the Partnership's financial recovery; we are in good financial health with a return to profit, and have a strong balance sheet with record investment planned this year. Sharon has also helped ensure that employee ownership of the Partnership is secure, is demonstrably focused on its purpose as a force for good and with an open and inclusive culture.

“As the Partnership moves into the next phase of its modernisation focused on our core retail business as well future growth, we are confident that Jason will provide the kind of inspirational leadership, a proven track record in multi-channel, multi-category retail success and a strong identification with Partnership values that we are seeking in this role. Jason has impressed everyone throughout the interview process with his warmth, his belief in the Partnership’s ideals and democratic principles and his appreciation for our unique and special brands.”

Solvay announced the future Board of Directors of SYENSQO, effective upon completion of the planned separation of Solvay into two companies – SOLVAY and SYENSQO – which is on track to be completed in December 2023.

SYENSQO’s Board will be composed of 10 members, including 6 independent members, 3 members representing the reference shareholder, Solvac, and the company CEO. They have deep expertise in specialty industries, international business operations, risk management, corporate governance, finance and clean technology.

The following individuals will serve on the SYENSQO Board of Directors:
Rosemary Thorne will serve as independent Director and Chair of the SYENSQO Board, as well as Chair of the Board’s Finance Committee. She is currently an Independent Director on the Solvay Board of Directors, appointed in 2014, and Chair of the Board’s Audit Committee. She is also an Independent Director on the Board of Merrill Lynch International (UK), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bank of America, serving as Chair of the Audit Committee. Ms. Thorne has decades of financial leadership experience across a wide range of industries. She previously served as Chief Financial Officer at J. Sainsbury, the UK’s largest supermarket chain at the time; Bradford & Bingley; and Ladbrokes. Ms. Thorne previously sat as an Independent Director on the Boards of Royal Mail Group, Cadbury Schweppes, Santander UK, First Global Trust Bank and Smurfit Kappa Group.

Dr. Ilham Kadri will serve as Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors of SYENSQO. She is currently CEO and President of the Executive Committee at Solvay. Ms. Kadri has successfully led the turnaround of Solvay, delivering double-digit EBITDA growth and 18 consecutive quarters of positive free cash flow, deleveraging the balance sheet and promoting superior people engagement. She is an independent Board member at A.O. Smith and L’Oréal. She is active in non-profit organizations, as Chair of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), member of the steering committee of the European Round Table of Industrialists (ERT) as well as a permanent member of the World Economic Forum’s International Business Council (WEF). Ms. Kadri has extensive leadership experience across a variety of industries in four continents and with leading industrial multinationals, including Shell, UCB, Huntsman, Dow, Sealed Air. Prior to Solvay, she was CEO and President of Diversey in the USA, led the company’s return to profitability and resulting spin off and divestiture to Bain Capital. She founded two non-Profit foundations: the Solvay Solidarity Fund in Belgium in 2020 which supported more than 7000 families affected by Covid-19 and natural disasters; and founded the ISSA Hygieia Network in 2015 in the USA, to help women in the cleaning industry. She received two Doctor Honoris Clausa from EWHA University in Korea and Université de Namur in Belgium.

Julian Waldron will serve as independent Director and Chair of the Audit Committee. He currently serves as Deputy Executive Chairman of privately-held Albea Group, a global beauty and personal care packaging company which operates 35 facilities in Europe, Asia and the Americas. Mr. Waldron has held senior leadership roles at several leading listed companies in the industrial, technology and services sectors and brings a wealth of expertise in finance and business operations. Prior to joining Albea in 2022, he was Chief Financial Officer of Suez for three years after serving as Chief Financial Officer and subsequently Chief Operating Officer of Technip. He started his career at UBS Warburg where he spent 14 years. Mr. Waldron also served as an independent Board member and Chairman of finance, risk and investments at Carbon Clean, a privately-owned carbon capture company dedicated to achieving net zero.

Heike Van de Kerkhof will serve as independent Director and Chair of the Nomination Committee. She currently sits on the Board of OCI N.V.. Ms. Van de Kerkhof brings more than 30 years of experience in the chemicals, oil & gas and materials industries, having served in numerous leadership roles around the globe. From 2020 to 2023, she was Chief Executive Officer of Archroma Management, a global specialty chemicals company. During her tenure, she successfully completed the transformational acquisition of Huntsman’s Textile Effects business. Prior to her role at Archroma, Ms. Van de Kerkhof served as Vice President of Lubricants, Western Hemisphere at BP, and held positions at Castrol, The Chemours Company, and Neste Corporation. She also held many leading roles within DuPont over 18 years.

Matti Lievonen will serve as independent Director and Chair of the Compensation Committee. He is currently an independent director on the Solvay Board, appointed in 2017. Mr. Lievonen is a proven executive in the energy, forestry, power and automation industries with an extensive track record of leading businesses through climate transition. For over ten years until 2018, he served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Neste Corporation, a global leader in next-generation renewable fuels and chemicals. During his time at Neste, Mr. Lievonen successfully promoted the development of clean fuels as well as Finland’s bioeconomy strategy in advancing renewable transportation fuels. He has also been involved with organizations such as Fortum Board, SSAB, Nynäs AB, Ilmarinen, and the HE Finnish Fair Foundation. Until 2021, Mr. Lievonen was also Chairman of the Board of Directors at Fortum. He has been recognized for his admirable leadership and expertise, and in 2016 was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Technology by the Aalto University Schools of Technology.

Dr. Françoise de Viron will serve as non-independent Director, Chair of the ESG Committee and Vice-Chair of the Board. She is currently a director of the Solvay Board, appointed in 2013. Ms. de Viron is a regarded academic leader and has extensive experience in innovation, R&D and qualitative research. She is a Professor Emeritus at the Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences and Louvain School of Management at UCLouvain in Belgium where she has been an Academic Member of various groups at UCLouvain. Ms. de Viron previously served as the president of AISBL EUCEN – the European Universities Continuing Education Network. Prior to her university position, from 1985 to 2000, she was in charge of developing Artificial Intelligence applications at Tractebel S.A. (now Tractebel-Engie).

Roeland Baan will serve as independent Director. He currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Topsoe, a privately-held leading provider of clean energy and petrochemical technologies. He is also Chairman of the Supervisory Board of SBM Offshore NV. Roeland Baan has extensive experience in supply chain management, M&A, business development and operations management. Prior to joining Topsoe in 2020, he was President and CEO of Outokumpu and has held several executive roles at global organizations such as Aleris International, ArcelorMittal and SHV NV. He spent over 16 years in various roles across the globe at Shell, living in South America, in Africa and in the United Kingdom.

Edouard Janssen will serve as non-independent Director. He is currently a Director on the Solvay Board, appointed in 2021. Earlier this year, he was appointed Chief Financial Officer of D’Ieteren Group, a European leader in automotive distribution services. Mr. Janssen is also a Board member of privately-held Financière de Tubize and Union Financière Boël, as well as Co-Founder and Chair of Trusted Family. Mr. Janssen is active in academics, as Vice-Chair of the International Advisory Board of the Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management and on the advisory board of the INSEAD HGIBS. He brings expertise in finance, strategy, entrepreneurship, business management, planning and marketing. He has served as Solvay’s Vice President in strategy and M&A between 2019 and 2021, and prior to that, he was the US-based General Manager for North- and Latin America at Solvay’s Aroma Performance Global Business Unit.
 
Dr. Mary Meaney will serve as non-independent Director. She is currently a member of the Board of Directors and of the Audit Committee of Groupe Bruxelles Lambert SA. She also sits on the Board of Directors and the Remuneration Committee of Beamery, the privately-held talent management company. She is a member of the Board of Directors and of the Finance Committee of Imperial College, London.Dr. Meaney will bring expertise in Strategy, M&A, and change management, which she acquired over a 24-year career at McKinsey. She was a Senior Partner, served on the McKinsey Shareholders Council and led McKinsey’s global Organization practice.

Nadine Leslie will serve as independent Director and is based in the United States of America. She is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Provident Financial Services , as well as a Non-Executive Director of Seven Seas Water Corporation, a water and wastewater treatment multinational company. She also sits on the Board of Trustees of Hackensack Meridian Health Network and is active as strategic consultant for civil engineering firm T&M Associates. Over a 22-year career at Suez, Ms. Leslie held several leadership positions, the last one being Chief Executive Officer of Suez North America, until 2022. Previously she served as Executive Vice President Health & Safety.

AkzoNobel shareholders voted in favor of all resolutions at the company’s Annual General Meeting (AGM).
 
As well as adopting the company's 2022 financial statements, the dividend policy and total dividend per share of €1.98 for 2022 were also agreed. In addition, Mr. Ben Noteboom was appointed by the AGM as a new member of the company’s Supervisory Board. The intention is to elect Mr. Noteboom as Chair of AkzoNobel’s Supervisory Board as of May 25, 2023, when he will resign as member of the Supervisory Board of Aegon N.V.
 
Mr. Byron Grote, Deputy Chair of AkzoNobel’s Supervisory Board, commented: “We’re very pleased with the appointment of Ben Noteboom. His strong track record in executive and non-executive roles, and his broad experience in different industries – including the chemical industry – will be valuable additions to AkzoNobel. We wish him every success in his new role.”
 
Mr. Noteboom will succeed Mr. Nils Smedegaard Andersen, who has served as a member and Chair of the Supervisory Board since 2018.

Mrs. Jolanda Poots-Bijl and Mr. Dick Sluimers were both reappointed as member of the Supervisory Board.

The Supervisory Board of adidas AG resolved upon the succession for adidas CEO Kasper Rorsted. Effective January 1, 2023, Bjørn Gulden is appointed as member of the Executive Board and CEO of adidas AG. Kasper Rorsted and the Supervisory Board mutually agreed that he will step down as CEO and leave the company upon expiry of November 11, 2022. Harm Ohlmeyer, Chief Financial Officer of adidas AG, will lead the company in the interim until December 31, 2022. The Supervisory Board had announced a CEO transition on August 22, 2022.

Bjørn Gulden is 57 years old, Norwegian and has been CEO of Puma SE since 2013. Bjørn Gulden looks back at a tenure at adidas as, amongst others, Senior Vice President of Apparel and Accessories from 1992 to 1999. Additionally, he was CEO of Danish jewelry brand Pandora, Managing Director of footwear retailer Deichmann, President of Rack Room Shoes, and held various management positions at outdoor apparel company Helly Hansen. He also holds the position of Chairman of the Board of Salling Group, Denmark’s largest food retailer.

“We are very pleased to welcome Bjørn Gulden back at adidas. Bjørn Gulden brings almost 30 years of experience in the sporting goods and footwear industry. As a result, he knows the industry extremely well and draws on a rich network in sport and retail. Bjørn Gulden already served adidas successfully for seven years in the 1990s. As CEO of Puma, he re-invigorated the brand and led the company to record results. The Supervisory Board of adidas AG is convinced that Bjørn Gulden will head adidas into a new era of strength and is looking very much forward to a successful cooperation,” said Thomas Rabe, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of adidas AG. 

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, has named experienced operations and development officer Ryan Ragan as its new Director of Membership and Industry Relations to retain and grow memberships and enhance member values. He brings 20 years of experience from various bio-medical and healthcare organizations.

For the past four years he worked in domestic and international business development at the Accreditation Commission for Health Care, (ACHC).
He began his career the U. S. Marines before transitioning to business after being discharged. Ragan also helped the Central Jersey Blood Center achieve record-setting growth in his first two years as its Chief Operating Officer. In another role, he trained management candidates at Grifols to take over and run both existing and start up biomedical facilities.

As Business Development Manager for ACHC, he helped develop and launch pharmaceutical and home health programs in Italy and Saudi Arabia.  Ragan’s team also oversaw relationships with state and national associations.

At INDA, he will work with members to help identify opportunities and work internally to determine how INDA can be a resource for solutions.  He will strive to add additional value to INDA members through education and new service lines.

Ragan holds a bachelor’s degree in Business, from the University of Phoenix.

The EREMA Group mourns the passing of Georg Wendelin, company co-founder, former Managing Partner and long-time Chairman of the Supervisory Board of EREMA Group GmbH, who died on the 29th of March at the age of 84.

In 1983, at a time when plastics recycling was hardly an issue, Georg Wendelin, together with Helmut Bacher and Helmuth Schulz, laid the corner stone for the group of companies that today is a world market leader by founding the company and building the first EREMA plastics recycling machine. With pioneering spirit, a business acumen and his respectful and appreciative management style, Georg Wendelin actively shaped the success of the company, attentively and proudly keeping track of how plastics recycling went from being a niche to a trend and how the EREMA Group became a driving force behind the circular economy. In 2019, he was awarded the Golden Decoration of the Republic of Austria in recognition of his work.

"We will greatly miss Georg Wendelin as a personality who was closely associated with us for all these years. Because of his humanity, he was a highly respected figure of leadership on all sides," said Manfred Hackl, CEO of EREMA Group GmbH and himself a long-time companion of Wendelin's.

At each edition, Maison&Objet names a Designer of the Year, celebrating the work of the most outstanding talents on the international design and decoration scene. Having been unable to present his installation on receiving the accolade in September 2020, Franklin Azzi will now take centre stage at the March 2022 edition with RETRO FUTUR, an immersive exploration of his creative process. Working out of his Parisian agency created in 2006, Azzi develops a cross-disciplinary approach that draws on a potpourri of perspectives and disciplines. By relentlessly
sparking a dialogue between architecture, interior design, design and modern art with the backing of his dedicated endowment fund, he hones a talent for design and creation that embraces all scales and all spaces.

From the kind of urban microarchitecture embodied by the Eiffel Kiosque and its prefabricated structure to towers in Dubai and Paris, not forgetting the refurbishment of existing structures
such as the Alstom warehouses in Nantes, his work is underpinned by a quest for sustainability tailored to meet users’ needs. Turning his back on formal style, Azzi develops architecture that is both minimalist in its aesthetic and maximalist in its multi-faceted functionality and environmental quality, resolutely advocating a return to ‘common sense’. He walks firmly in the footsteps of philosopher and urban planner Paul Virilio, the exploratory thinker and creator of whom he was once a student.

It looks like a normal shirt, but it has it all: The new SmartTex shirt uses integrated sensors to transfer physiological data from astronauts to Earth via a wireless communication network. In this way, the effects of the space environment on the human cardiovascular system will be evaluated and documented, especially with regard to long-term manned space missions. Developed by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in cooperation with DSI Aerospace Technology, the Medical Faculty of Bielefeld University and textile research partner Hohenstein, SmartTex will be tested for the first time as part of the Wireless Compose-2 (WICO2) project by German ESA astronaut Dr. Matthias Maurer, who will leave for his ‘Cosmic Kiss’ mission on the International Space Station (ISS) for six months on October 30, 2021.

"We were already able to gain valuable insights into the interaction of the body, clothing and climate under microgravity conditions during the previous projects Spacetex (2014) and Spacetex2 (2018)," explains Hohenstein Senior Scientific Expert Dr. Jan Beringer. The insights provided at the time by the mission of ESA astronaut Dr. Alexander Gerst have now been directly incorporated into the development of the new SmartTex shirt at Hohenstein. "Matthias Maurer can wear his tailor-made shirt comfortably on his body during his everyday work on the International Space Station. For this, we used his body measurements as the basis for our cut development and the production of the shirt. We integrated the necessary sensors as well as data processing and communication modules into the shirt's cut in such a way that they interfere as little as possible and are always positioned in the right place, regardless of the wearing situation. This is the prerequisite for reliably measuring the relevant physiological data." The SmartTex shirt is intended to provide a continuous picture of the vital functions of astronauts. This will be particularly relevant for future long-term manned space missions to the Moon and Mars.

For example, during the BEAT experiment (Ballistocardiography for Extraterrestrial Applications and long-Term missions), Matthias Maurer will be the first astronaut to wear a T-shirt equipped with sensors that measure his ballistocardiographic data such as pulse and relative blood pressure. For this purpose, the sensors were calibrated in the :envihab research facility at the DLR Institute of Aerospace Medicine in Cologne. Details on the contraction rate and opening and closing times of the heart valves, which are normally only accessible via sonography or computer tomography, can also be read from the data material. The goal is to study the effects of the space environment on the human cardiovascular system. To be able to analyse these effects realistically, Matthias Maurer's ballistocardiographic data will be recorded before, during and after his stay on the ISS. For the future, a technology transfer of the SmartTex shirt for application in the field of fitness or even in telemedicine is conceivable.

Wireless Compose-2 (WICO2)
The project was planned and prepared by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and its cooperation partners DSI Aerospace Technology, Hohenstein and the University of Bielefeld. The wireless communication network reads sensor data and can determine the position of people and objects in space by propagation times of radio pulses. It is also available as a platform for several experiments on the ISS. The determined data is temporarily stored within the network and read out at regular intervals by the astronauts. These data packets are then transferred to Earth via the ISS link and analysed by the research teams. It can generate its own energy from artificial light sources via solar cells.

ESA astronaut Dr. Matthias Maurer in summer 2021 during preliminary talks on the Cosmic Kiss mission in DLR's :envihab in Cologne. © DLR

Sensors measure physiological data during a test run on Earth. © DLR

With the "SmartTex" shirt, astronauts can wear the necessary sensors comfortably on their bodies. © DLR

Dr. Jan Beringer, Hohenstein Senior Scientific Expert. © Hohenstein

Reorganization follows record quarter and additional investment as eCommerce continues to thrive

Fresh Relevance, the versatile personalization and decision engine, today announced the launch of a new customer department to support a growing customer base of more than 500 websites, including major brands in the UK, Nordics and US. The launch follows a record quarter and additional investment from Foresight Group to drive the company’s ambitious global growth strategy.

The new customer department brings together Fresh Relevance’s service, support, customer success and account management divisions located in Southampton (UK), London (UK) and Boston (US). The department is led by the newly appointed Vice President Customer, Huriyyah Dhanse.

Dhanse states: “Many organizations have experienced massive eCommerce growth during the pandemic. This has led to increased investment in omnichannel platforms such as Fresh Relevance, as companies look to sustain and gain market share by optimizing how they connect with, convert and retain customers.” Dhanse adds: “Our new customer department aligns the company’s expanding support, services, customer success and account management teams in the UK and US into a single entity, focused on helping brands achieve and exceed their commercial objectives. By bundling all customer-facing roles into one central department, we are able to provide an even more seamless customer experience and align all touchpoints in the customer lifecycle - from onboarding through to day-to-day support and strategic advice.”

Fresh Relevance boasts a 98% customer retention rate, and it is a statistic that company CEO and co-founder, Mike Austin, is proud of and committed to maintaining. “The success of Fresh Relevance is built on the quality and reliability of our platform, a clear vision for the future of online retail, but above all else the way we build long-term partnership with our customers”, states Austin.

These comments are endorsed by a 9.7 score for Quality of Support on G2, the world’s largest tech marketplace, which is accompanied by a raft of positive feedback from customers such as: “The best thing about Fresh hands down is the support, which comes from literally all avenues. The support team are quick, they really take time to explain things and help you to set anything up you need. Account management talk to you like you're the only person in the room, analyze everything you're doing in depth and help you to see what you're missing whether that be tools or strategy. Everybody goes the extra mile and follows up any open issues.”

Austin concludes: “As we scale up our global operations after a record quarter, it is vital that we keep the voice of the customer at the heart of everything we do. This is the primary aim of the new Fresh Relevance Customer Department.”

SSM Schärer Schweiter Mettler AG, a subsidiary of the Rieter Group, has appointed Per Olofsson as Managing Director and member of the SSM Group’s management team effective April 1, 2021.

Mr. Olofsson is a Swedish citizen and holds a Master of Science Degree in Supply Chain and Operations Management from the University of Liverpool, United Kingdom, and an Executive MBA from the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Per Oloffson joined the Rieter Group in 2013 and is an experienced operations manager with a proven management track record at both local and global level.