Safic-Alcan reorganises its leadership team

Paris – Speciality chemicals distributor Safic-Alcan has reorganised its senior management team in response to recent market expansions, the company announced 16 Feb.

Philippe Combette has been appointed chief executive officer (CEO) of Safic Alcan. He succeeds Martial Lecat, who remains CEO of group holding company Safinca and will also continue to lead on mergers and acquisitions.

The company has also appointed Jean-Michel Guyon as general manager, while holding his current responsibilities as chief financial officer (CFO).

The management rejig follows “strong organic and acquisition growth that allowed Safic-Alcan to grab important market shares in central and eastern Europe and to establish in the US in 2015," the company said.

Safic Alcan added that it had also strengthened its leadership position in the European rubber industry and diversified in the plastics, coatings & adhesives, cosmetics and pharmacy sectors.

Another change, in early 2015, saw the management and employees take majority stakes in the company backed by minority shareholders Euromezzanine, Sagard and Société Générale.

Prior to his new appointment, Combette was general manager of Safic-Alcan and a member of the board since 2006. He was in charge of all business activities and operations for its performance products division worldwide.

Combette made most of his career at Safic-Alcan, first as sales engineer, beginning 1988, then as director of its polymers and chemicals department, before becoming group development director from 2002 to 2006.

Guyon was CFO and member of the board of Safic-Alcan since 2007. Previous experiences include PWC and Renault, as financial controller, financial and administrative manager at Franciaflex and CFO at Micel, an electronic isolating product and composites