ABOUT ARLANXEO
We are one of the world's largest producers of synthetic rubber. We develop, produce and market high-performance rubbers that are used for a wide range of applications.
Leadership team
Our leadership team, having decades of experience with members coming from different regions of the world and successfully exemplify the cultural diversity at ARLANXEO.
Donald Chen
Chief Executive Officer
Donald Chen has been CEO of ARLANXEO since May 2019. He worked for Shell for nearly 20 years in Europe, China, Asia Pacific and the Middle East. He joined Dow Chemical in 2006 and became Vice President for Sadara Chemical Company, a joint venture with Saudi Aramco, in 2012. From 2016, he was responsible for the China & Asia Pacific businesses and a member of the Executive Council of Archer Daniels Midland. Donald Chen holds a master’s degree and a doctorate in Aeronautical Engineering from Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands.
Abdullah Al-Owaid
Chief Financial Officer
Abdullah Al-Owaid was appointed Chief Financial Officer on January 1, 2021. Starting September 28, 2022 he is also overseeing ARLANXEO’s IT. Abdullah held various leadership positions in Finance at Aramco and was the Manager of Affiliates Support & Financial Consulting Department as well as the CFO of Excellent Performance Chemicals Company (EPCC), a Saudi Aramco subsidiary holding Sadara investment. He also serves as a Board member in some of Aramco Affiliates. Abdullah holds an MBA degree with a specialization in Finance and completed various executive trainings with leading Business schools such as Harvard and INSEAD.
Christoph Kalla
Acting Chief Commercial Officer
Chris Kalla assumed the role of acting Chief Commercial Officer at ARLANXEO on September 28, 2022. He is also the Managing Director of ARLANXEO Germany. He started his career at Bayer in 1988. Throughout his career, he has worked in various functions such as Marketing & Sales, Procurement and R&D and in several countries including the United States, Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands. In March 2018 he became Head of Global Procurement at ARLANXEO. He is a certified business assistant.
John Schmidt
Acting Chief Operating Officer
John Schmidt became acting Chief Operating Officer at ARLANXEO on September 28, 2022. John has been the Orange Site Manager in the United States and the Managing Director of ARLANXEO Canada since 2018. Before that he held various leadership positions within Manufacturing at LANXESS, Bayer and Polysar. John holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from University of Western Ontario in Canada.
Pierre Chorand
Acting CHIEF PROCUREMENT & SUPPLY CHAIN OFFICER, CHIEF CORPORATE PLANNING OFFICER
Pierre Chorand serves as our acting Chief Procurement and Supply Chain Officer starting with September 28, 2022, while also continuing in his role as Chief Corporate Planning Officer which he has held since January 2022. He brings 30 years of experience including senior leadership roles in supply chain, logistics and operations at various companies, including Trinseo and Firmenich. Pierre studied at King’s College in London and HEI (Hautes Etudes d’Ingénieur) in France where he obtained a Masters degree in Engineering. He obtained several additional qualifications in e.g., Strategy, Finance and Supply Chain and Logistics from IMD Lausanne, HEC Paris and MIT Boston.
John Sawaya
Chief Corporate Development Officer
John Sawaya became Chief Corporate Development Officer at ARLANXEO on March 1, 2021. In addition, John has been ARLANXEO’s Regional Head and Managing Director for North America (NORAM) since January of 2018 and as of September 28, 2022 he is also overseeing ARLANXEO’s Communications. He started his international business career in 1991 and has held various leadership positions at ARLANXEO and its predecessor companies, including Commercial Head, NORAM. John holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration, from the American University in Washington DC, having majored in Finance and Marketing.
Herman Dikland
Chief Technology and Sustainability Officer
On September 2022, Herman Dikland has been appointed as the Chief Technology and Sustainability Officer of ARLANXEO. Herman Dikland (1965) was born in Enschede, The Netherlands. After obtaining his PhD in the field of Rubber Chemistry and Technology, he joined DSM Elastomers and held various positions in Business Development and Research Management. In 2011, DSM Elastomers was acquired by Lanxess. In 2013 he moved to Cologne to lead Lanxess’ Global Specialty Elastomers business (a.o. EVM and HNBR). In 2015 he became the head of the Global NBR and HNBR businesses, whilst also directing the shared R&D facilities of the company. In October 2019 Herman had been appointed as the Chief Technology Officer of ARLANXEO.
Véronique Stals
Chief Human Resources Officer
Véronique Stals joined ARLANXEO as Chief Human Resources Officer in October 2022. She brings 25 years of experience in Human Resources across many industries, including aviation, financial services, consulting, private equity, manufacturing, biotech, and pharmaceuticals. She has developed deep experience in both strategic and operational aspects of Human Resources, which will help her further develop ARLANXEO’s global HR function and our people strategy. Véronique Stals holds a degree in Roman languages from the University of Antwerp and obtained her Post Academic degree in Human Resources from the University of Tilburg.
Johan Gerrese
General Counsel
Johan Gerrese became General Counsel & Corporate Secretary of ARLANXEO in 2016. He began his legal career in private practice in Houston, Texas (USA). He has worked in various law leadership positions in the U.S., Europe, Middle East and Asia, including with Alcatel Lucent, Enron International and Destec Energy. In 2014, Johan joined Saudi Aramco. He holds a doctoral degree in Law from the University of Leiden and a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from the University of Texas.
RELATED TOPICS
GLOBAL PRESENCE
20 production sites in nine countries on four continents: Our production network extends around the globe – close to our customers.
PRODUCTS
Synthetic rubber can be found everywhere in our everyday lives. ARLANXEO has numerous different products in its range, tailored to numerous applications in a wide variety of industries.