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ICL Group’s executive vice president (EVP) Eli Amon has been appointed to lead its newly-created crop nutrition marketing business. He will also continue in his current role as EVP for ICL’s Innovative Ag Solutions division. Mr Amon has been with ICL for 29 years, serving in several executive sales, marketing and logistics roles.

ICL announced a consolidation of its sales and marketing teams on the 22nd June. In future, sales and marketing efforts for both commodity fertilizers and speciality fertilizers will be undertaken by a single commercial unit and managed on a regional basis.

Raviv Zoller, ICL’s president and CEO, said: “We believe that establishing a single commercial unit facing agricultural end-markets will allow us to better leverage ICL’s region-specific knowledge, agronomic and R&D capabilities, logistical assets, and customer relationships, as well as to enhance the global operational scale of our crop nutrition business.”

Gretchen Watkins, the president of Shell Oil Company, was elected to the board of directors of The Mosaic Company in May. Ms Watkins joined Royal Dutch Shell in 2018 as president of its US business arm, Shell Oil Company, and as EVP, Global Shales. She was the CEO of Maersk Oil and Gas from 2016 to 2018, and the company’s chief operating officer (COO) immediately prior to that, from 2014 to 2016. Previously, Ms Watkins has held senior executive roles at BP and Marathon Oil Company, and served on the board of directors of global engineering consultancy WS Atkins. She holds a Mechanical Engineering BSc from Pennsylvania State University.

“Gretchen has built an extraordinary career in the energy industry,” said Gregory Ebel, Mosaic’s board chairman. “The board of directors looks forward to benefitting from her global experience, her deep understanding of commodities and her strong operations background.”

Graham Clarke became the new CEO of Emmerson Plc, the developer of the Khemisset potash project in Morocco, at the beginning of July. He replaces Hayden Locke who is remaining as a company director to focus on financing and strategic partnerships. Mr Clarke joins Emmerson from Sirius Minerals where he was has been a key member of its senior executive team since 2011, overseeing all technical aspects of the development of the Woodsmith Mine. Prior to this, Graham enjoyed a 26-year career at Cleveland Potash, the operator of the Boulby potash mine in Yorkshire. This included a stint as director of mining before finally becoming managing director of ICL UK, the owner of Cleveland Potash.

Mark Connelly, Emmerson’s chairman, said: “Graham is a highly experienced potash mining executive with a clear track record of success in the industry. What is more unique is his recent experience of taking a large, highly complex, underground mine all the way from a concept through to construction. In my experience, this is a rare combination of skills in any commodity, and this is particularly true in the potash industry.”

Graham Clarke, Emmerson’s Incoming CEO, said: “I am delighted to be joining Emmerson at this important stage of its development. The results from the feasibility study indicate a very compelling potash opportunity which, because of its very low expected upfront capital cost, is likely to have multiple financing options available to it.”

Roeland Baan became Haldor Topsoe’s new CEO in May. He was previously CEO of Finnish steel giant Outokumpu.

Welcoming Mr Baan’s appointment, Jeppe Christiansen, Haldor Topsoe’s chairman, said “Roeland Baan has remarkable global experience and a proven track record of driving growth, developing businesses and building cohesive organizations. I am convinced he will contribute to the continued strong performance of Haldor Topsoe. With Roeland’s direction, we will continue to focus on being global leader in the markets in which we operate.”

In response, Roeland Baan said: “This is a special day for me. Topsoe is an exceptional company that has made a huge difference for the refining and chemical industries for decades. I have no doubt that Topsoe has the potential to expand this strong market position and lead the way into a more sustainable and energy-efficient future. I have been looking forward to begin this journey together with the board and the leadership team as well as Topsoe’s customers and dedicated employees.”

Advanced conveyor technology company Gambarotta Gschwendt has appointed Davide Gambarotta as its new CEO and sole owner designate, replacing the former CEO with immediate effect. Mr Gambarotta will stay on in his current position as CEO and sole director of MDG Handling Solutions. Gambarotta Gschwendt and MDG both operate jointly under the Gambarotta Group.