MAASTRICHT, Netherlands—Arlanxeo Holding B.V. has a new leader.
The Lanxess A.G. and Saudi Aramco joint venture specializing on synthetic rubber has selected Jorge Nogueira to succeed Jan Paul de Vries as CEO of the company. The firm said de Vries has left to pursue a "new professional challenge."
Lanxess CEO Matthias Zachert, who is also chairman of Arlanxeo, said in a statement that de Vries outstandingly positioned Arlanxeo in its establishment phase and was instrumental in ensuring that it becomes one of the strongest players in the rubber sector.
Born in Argentina, Nogueira began his career in Brazil with Dow Chemical Co. After holding various managerial positions at the French chemical company Rhone-Poulenc, he became CEO of the Brazilian company Petroflex S.A. in 2007. After Petroflex was acquired by Lanxess, Nogueira served in various leadership positions with the specialty chemicals company beginning in 2008. He has been in charge of the Tire & Specialty Rubbers business unit since January 2015—remaining so even when the unit was carved out and placed in Arlanxeo—and served as a member of Arlanxeo's executive board since it was founded in April 2016
"In Jorge Nogueira, a recognized industry and market expert is taking over as CEO," Zachert said in a statement. "He will drive the company forward in a persisting difficult market environment."
Christian Widdershoven will join Arlanxeo's four-member executive board on behalf of Lanxess. He is currently Managing Director of Arlanxeo Netherlands B.V. and head of the Keltan EPDM business.