The Board of directors

The Board of directors is elected by the shareholders for a four year term. It defines Arkema’s strategy and monitors the long-term financial results. The Board reports to its shareholders.

The rules and details pertaining to its operation (it meets at least twice a year), especially in terms of its independence, are set forth in the official Rules and Procedures.

The composition of the Board of directors is based on the principles of governance of listed corporations. These principles of independence and transparency are set forth in the AFEP-MEDEF Corporate Governance Code.

The Board of directors is presided by Thierry Le Hénaff and at the end of 2012 included the following members: 

• Patrice Bréant
• François Enaud
• Bernard Kasriel
• Victoire de Margerie*
• Laurent Mignon
• Thierry Morin
• Marc Pandraud
• Claire Pédini
• Jean-Pierre Seeuws
• Philippe Vassor

* Appointment subject to ratification by the ordinary general meeting of June 4th 2013

Thierry Le Hénaff, born in 1963, holds engineering degrees from École Polytechnique and École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées and a Master’s degree in Industrial Management from Stanford University in the United States.

Mr. Le Hénaff holds the title of Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite.

After starting his career with Peat Marwick Consultants, in 1992 he joined Bostik, Total’s Adhesives Division, where he held a number of operational positions in France and worldwide.

In July 2001, he was appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Bostik Findley, the new entity resulting from the merger of Total’s and Elf Atochem’s Adhesives divisions.

On January 1, 2003, Mr. Le Hénaff joined Atofina’s Executive Committee, where he was in charge of three B.U.s (Agrochemicals, Fertilizers and Thiochemicals) and three functional divisions.

Mr. Thierry Le Hénaff was appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Arkema S.A. on March 6, 2006 and of Arkema France on April 18, 2006. Beforehand he had been Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Arkema France since 2004.

Date of first appointment: 2006
Date appointment expires: 2016

Patrice Bréant, born in 1963, is a graduate  of the Institut National Supérieur de la Chimie Industrielle de Rouen and holds a doctorate in organic chemical engineering. He is member of the Supervisory Board of the company collective investment fund (Arkema Actionnariat France).

He started his career in 1983 at the Nord Research Center of CDF Chimie (which later became Orkem), as a polyethylene formulation and modification research engineer.

In 1990 he joined Elf Atochem and worked at the Cerdato Research Center in Serquigny (France).

He has been a member of the Serquigny site Works Council and of the Central Works Council since 1994. He was rapporteur to the research commission of the Central Works Council of Elf Atochem, Atofina and then Arkema France from 1994 to 2007.

Mr. Bréant has also been a member of Arkema’s European group committee, a union representative for Arkema’s Serquigny site and a CFE-CGC central union representative for Arkema France since 2004.

Date of first appointment: 2010
Date appointment expires: 2014

Born in 1959, François Enaud is a graduate of France’s  École Polytechnique and École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées engineering schools. He has been Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Stéria since 1998.

After spending two years as a works engineer at Colas (1981-1982), François Enaud joined Steria in 1983 where he has held several senior management positions (Technical and Quality Divisions Manager, Chief Executive Officer of a subsidiary, Transport Division Manager, Telecoms Division Manager) before being appointed Chief Executive Officer of Steria.

Date of first appointment: 2006
Date appointment expires: 2015

Born in 1946, Bernard Kasriel is a graduate of France’s École Polytechnique engineering school and has an MBA from Harvard Business School and INSEAD business school.  He was a Managing Partner at LBO France from September 2006 to September 2011.

He joined Lafarge in 1977 as Executive Vice -President (and then Chief Executive Officer) of the health division. He was appointed Executive Vice- President of the Lafarge group and a member of its Executive Committee in 1981. After spending two years in the United States as Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of National Gypsum, in 1989 he became Director and Chief Executive Officer, then Vice-Chairman and Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Lafarge in 1995. He was then Chief Executive Officer of Lafarge from 2003 to end 2005.

Before joining Lafarge, Bernard Kasriel had begun his career at the Institut de développement industriel (1970), before holding senior management positions in different regional companies (1972). He joined the Société Phocéenne de Métallurgie as Executive Vice -President in 1975.

Date of first appointment: 2006
Date appointment expires : 2013

Victoire de Margerie

Non-Executive Independent Director

Victoire de Margerie is a graduate of the Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales in Paris and of the IEP in Paris, and she holds a DESS in Private Law from the Université de Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne, and a PhD in Management Science from the Université de Paris 2 Panthéon Assas.

Victoire de Margerie has been Chairman and principal shareholder of Rondol Technology, a British micromechanics SME, since 2009. She previously held operational posts in industry in Germany, France and the United States within Elf Atochem, Carnaud MetalBox and Péchiney. Between 2002 and 2011, she also taught strategy and management of technology at the Grenoble School of Management. She serves as a director in a number of listed companies, including Norsk Hydro (aluminium), Eurazeo and Morgan Crucible (advanced materials).

Date of first appointment: 2012*

Date appointment expires : 2016

 * Appointment subject to ratification by the ordinary general meeting on June 4th 2013.

Laurent Mignon, born in 1963, is a graduate of France’s HEC business school and the Stanford Executive Program. He has been Chief Executive Officer of Natixis since May 2009.

From September 2007 to May 2009 he was Managing Partner of Oddo & Cie, alongside Philippe Oddo, in charge in particular of asset management (Oddo Asset Management), corporate finance (Oddo Corporate Finance), and financial control. Prior to this, Laurent Mignon was Chief Executive of the AGF group, and President of the Executive Committee and a member of the International Executive Committee of Allianz from January 2006 to June 2007. He joined AGF in 1997 as Finance Director, and was appointed member of the Executive Committee in 1998.

Later in 2002, he was given responsibility for investments at AGF Bank, AGF Asset Management and AGF Real Estate successively, and, in 2003, the Life and Financial Services department (asset management, banking activities, real estate) as well as Credit Insurance (Euler & Hermes Group).

Before joining the AGF group, for over 10 years he held a number of positions in the banking sector at Indosuez Bank and Schroders Bank.

Date of first appointment: 2006
Date appointment expires: 2015

Born in 1952, Thierry Morin holds a degree in management from the Université de Paris  IX Dauphine and is Officier de l’Ordre National du Mérite, Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur and Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters). He is also Chairman of the Board of Directors of INPI and Chairman of Thierry Morin Consulting

Mr. Morin joined the Valeo group in 1989, where he held various positions (Chief Financial Officer for a business unit and senior positions for the group, Purchasing Division and Strategy Division) before becoming Executive Vice President in 1997, Chief Executive Officer in 2000, Chairman of the Executive Board in 2001, and then Chairman and Chief Executive Officer from March 2003 to March 2009. 

Prior to that, he had been in charge of various functions at Burroughs, Schlumberger and Thomson Consumer Electronics.

Date of first appointment: 2006
Date appointment expires: 2013

Marc Pandraud, born in 1958, is a graduate of France’s ESCP business school. He has been in charge of Deutsche Bank’s activities in France since June 2009.

Mr. Pandraud began his career as an auditor with Peat Marwick Mitchell (1982-1985). Subsequently he was Vice President of Bear Stearns & Co Inc. (1985-1989), Chief Executive of SG Warburg France SA (1989-1995), Chief Executive of Deutsche Morgan Grenfell (1995-1998), then Chief Executive in charge of investment banking (1998). He later joined Merrill Lynch as Managing Director of Merrill Lynch & Co Inc. (1998) and Chief Executive of Merrill Lynch France (1998) before becoming President of Merrill Lynch France (2005-2009). 

Marc Pandraud holds the title of Chevalier de l’ordre national du Mérite.

Date of first appointment: 2009
Date appointment expire : 2013

Claire Pedini, born in 1965, has been Senior Vice President of the Compagnie Saint-Gobain, in charge of Human Resources, since June 1, 2010. She is a graduate of France’s HEC business school and holds a Masters degree in media management from the ESCP business school (Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Paris).

After having held several finance and management control positions at Total, Claire Pedini was in charge of the group’s financial communications from 1992 to 1994, after having successfully completed the group’s IPO on the New York stock exchange in 1991.

She was then responsible for Total’s press service from 1995 to 1997. She joined Alcatel in September 1998 as head of financial communications and relationships with the shareholders. In 2002, she became Head of financial communications and institutional relationships, then Group Deputy Chief Financial Officer in February 2004. 

In January 2006, she was appointed Head of Human Resources and member of Alcatel-Lucent’s Executive Committee, Head of Human Resources and Communications in June 2006, then Head of Human Resources and Transformation in 2009.

Date of first appointment: 2010
Date appointment expire : 2014

Jean-Pierre Seeuws, born in 1945, holds a degree from Ecole Polytechnique. In 1967 he joined Rhône-Poulenc, where he was responsible for the production and chemical engineering sectors. In 1981, he became Chief Executive Officer of the Base Mineral Chemicals, Films and then Fine Minerals businesses.

In 1989, he joined Orkem as divisional Chief Executive Officer and became Deputy Chief Executive officer of Total's Chemicals business (and a member of the Management Committee) in 1990. In 1995 he became Chief Executive Officer of Total's Chemicals business and in 1996 Chairman of Hutchinson. He was a member of Total S.A.'s Executive Committee between 1996 and 2000.

Between 2000 and 2005, Jean-Pierre Seeuws was Total’s general delegate for Chemicals in the United States and Chief Executive Officer of Atofina Chemicals Inc. and of Total Petrochemicals Inc.

Date of first appointment: 2006
Date appointment expires: 2016

Born in 1953, Philippe Vassor is a graduate of France’s ESCP business school and is a certified public accountant and statutory auditor. He has served as the Chairman of Baignas SAS since June 2005.

He spent most of his career (1975 to 2005) at Deloitte & Touche, where he was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer in France. From 2000 to 2004 he was a member of the global Executive Group, responsible for Human Resources.

Date of first appointment: 2006
Date appointment expires: 2013