Arkema, a global leader in specialty materials, has announced the appointment of Ricardo Barros as President for Brazil and the Southern Cone, reinforcing its commitment to growth in the region.
Ricardo Barros succeeds Carlos de Lion, who led Arkema’s operations in Brazil and the Southern Cone for the past four years and will now take on a new role leading Bostik C&C in Australia, focusing on construction and consumer markets.
With nearly 30 years of experience across Brazil and Latin America, Barros brings extensive expertise in business transformation and growth. He previously served as Business Director for Bostik, Arkema’s adhesive solutions division, in South America between 2018 and 2019. Throughout his career, he has developed strong capabilities in sales, marketing, mergers and acquisitions, and full business management across consumer, construction, and industrial sectors.
I am very happy to return to Arkema and take on this new challenge leading operations in Brazil and the Southern Cone, Barros said.
My goal is to continue advancing our strategic roadmap across our three key segments, accelerate synergies between the Group’s activities in the region, and bring integrated, sustainable solutions to the market that create value for all stakeholders.
Arkema in South America
With operations in Brazil, Argentina and Chile, Arkema employs more than 570 people across the region and operates three commercial offices, eight production plants, six laboratories and four distribution centers.
In South America, Arkema acts as a strategic partner to key industries such as energy, construction, agribusiness and consumer goods, delivering high-value solutions in advanced materials, adhesives and coatings aligned with major trends like sustainability and energy transition