Lafarge North America Inc. Toronto, today announced that Eric C. Olsen officially assumed his position as executive vice president and chief financial officer on January 1, 2005. As previously announced, he succeeds Chief Financial Officer Larry Waisanen who retired at the end of 2004.   Olsen joined Lafarge North America in 1999 as senior vice president of strategy and development where he was responsible for the company’s merger and acquisition analyses. He subsequently led the Blue Circle integration team in North America. In 2001, he was appointed president of the company’s northeast cement operations. These operations generated approximately $350m in revenue in 2003. In this role, he held operational responsibility for the annual production, sale and distribution of approximately five million tons of cement and slag from five major production facilities in the US and Canada. Olsen also served as senior vice president of purchasing, overseeing the entire purchasing operations for the company.