HeidelbergCement: new Managing Board members – new Group areas

HeidelbergCement yesterday announced changes to its Managing Board and the reorganisation of the divisions in line with the long-term oriented succession planning and the proposed acquisition of Italcementi.

Within this context, the Managing Board agreements of Daniel Gauthier and Andreas Kern, due to expire on 30 June 2016, will not be extended, HeidelbergCement said in a statement. At the same time, three new members have been appointed to the Managing Board and a new Managing Board function was created for the Group area Africa-Eastern Mediterranean Basin. 

As of 1 February 2016, new members of the Managing Board will be:
• Hakan Gurdal (Turkey), currently President of the SBU cement of Sabanci Holding
• Jon Morrish (UK), currently Regional President South in North America
• Kevin Gluskie (Australia), currently CEO of Australia as well as Malaysia and Hong Kong.

All three have many years of experience in the business lines and international markets of HeidelbergCement, the company said.

New Group areas and responsibilities
Due to the icreased number of Group countries after the closing of the Italcementi acquisition, HeidelbergCement will be divided into five Group areas at Managing Board level:
• Western and Southern Europe (Dr Dominik von Achten, Heidelberg)
• Northern and Eastern Europe-Central Asia (Dr Albert Scheuer, Heidelberg)
• Africa-Eastern Mediterranean Basin (Hakan Gurdal, Heidelberg)
• North America (Jon Morrish, Dallas)
• Asia-Pacific (Kevin Gluskie, Singapore)

The areas of responsibility of the Board's Chairman, Dr Bernd Scheifele, and CFO, Dr Lorenz Näger remain unchanged.

“The global business activities of HeidelbergCement are even better represented by the newly-appointed members to the Managing Board. The composition of the Managing Board with complementary members, their comprehensive market knowledge and long-term operative experience as well as technological expertise are an important factor of success for HeidelbergCement,” said Dr Scheifele.

“The new appointments to the Managing Board stand for a generation change and are also a sign of continuity in the top managment of the company on its way to becoming one of the largest building materials groups in the world," he added.