LafargeHolcim Group management restructure
Group management changes to provide more focus on markets and a leaner, more agile structure
LafargeHolcim are to establish a more market-focused and agile management organization with the profit and loss (P&L) responsibility of the countries in which they operate to be strengthened and greater emphasis placed on developing and executing winning market strategies.
The 30 largest country organizations will directly report to the executive committee and global business functions will be merged under one leadership. As a result of these changes, the executive committee will be reduced to nine members.
With effect from 1 January 2018, Marcel Cobuz will take over as head of Europe and René Thibault will become head of North America, and both will join the executive committee.
Mr Cobuz, who joined LafargeHolcim in 2000, succeeds Roland Köhler, who has decided to retire, whilst Mr Thibault succeeds Pascal Casanova, who has decided to pursue opportunities outside the Group.
Mr Cobuz (pictured) has held various operational roles in six different countries and has been country chief executive officer in Indonesia, Iraq and, currently, Morocco. He has extensive experience in different markets and a successful P&L track record.
Roland Köhler, who has had a successful career within LafargeHolcim spanning more than 30 years, will continue to support the Group as chairman of the LafargeHolcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction. He will also continue to represent the Group as a non-executive director in local subsidiaries of the company.
Mr Thibault joined LafargeHolcim in 1989 and has held various roles in France and Canada. He has been chief executive officer of Western Canada since 2012 and has a strong track record in commercial roles and a deep expertise in downstream customer offerings.
The two global business functions – Performance & Cost and Growth & Innovation – will be merged into a new corporate department, Growth & Performance, under one leadership, allowing the Group to simplify the interfaces with countries and to operate a more agile global platform.
Urs Bleisch, currently Head of Performance & Cost and member of the executive committee, has been appointed as head of Growth & Performance, whilst Gérard Kuperfarb, head of Growth & Innovation, has decided to pursue a career outside the Group.
LafargeHolcim’s ‘regions’ will be fully aligned reflecting geographic and business similarities. Latin America will be complemented by Mexico, which was previously part of North America, while Australia and New Zealand, previously part of Europe, will join Asia. China and Trading will report directly to the chief executive officer.
In addition, new chief financial officer Géraldine Picaud will now join the Group earlier than previously announced, taking over CFO responsibilities on 3 January 2018.
Group chief executive officer Jan Jenisch said: ‘I am delighted to welcome Géraldine, Marcel and René to the executive committee. Establishing a market-focused management organization is an important step towards generating an attractive growth profile and taking the company to its next level of performance.
‘The strengthening of the profit and loss responsibility of the countries and the simplification of global business functions will create a leaner and more agile operating model. Countries will be fully empowered and accountable for market strategies, cost discipline and results.
‘The new organization will be complemented by a strengthened performance management system focusing on growth, cash conversion, capital efficiency and people development.’
