Fertilizer International 520 May-Jun 2024
31 May 2024
People
People
Nadja Håkansson became thyssenkrupp Uhde’s new CEO on 1st May.
“We are delighted to welcome Nadja Håkansson to thyssenkrupp Uhde as the new CEO,” said Miguel López, CEO of thyssenkrupp AG. “With an extensive background in the energy technology industry, Nadja brings a wealth of experience and leadership to thyssenkrupp Uhde to position the company as an enabler of the industry’s transformation towards further CO2 emissions reduction.”
“thyssenkrupp Uhde has significant potential for shaping the green transformation in our industry, and I am honored to lead this prestigious company as we embark on this exciting journey together,” said Nadja Håkansson. “I am looking forward to being part of thyssenkrupp Uhde’s engineering competence, to fostering a culture of innovation and to delivering sustainable value to our customers & stakeholders.”
During her career, Ms Håkansson has held various management positions at Siemens and Siemens Energy. This includes more than 18 years of experience working both nationally and internationally in supply chain management, operations, sales and corporate management.
Most recently, as SVP for Africa at Siemens Energy, Nadja was responsible for overall portfolio development in the African market. She holds an MSc in Industrial Engineering and Management from Linköping University’s Institute of Technology.
Hans Olav Raen is the new CEO of Yara Clean Ammonia (YCA), having assumed the role at the start of May. Mr Raen was previously OCI’s business director for fertilizers in Europe. Hans Olav has more than 25 years of experience in the fertilizer industry. This includes a twelve-year stint with Norsk Hydro and Yara International, between 1997 and 2009, during which Mr Raen held commercial and managerial roles in Europe and Africa. He holds a master’s degree from the College of Europe as well as a degree in digital leadership from the ESSEC Business School in Paris.
“We are pleased to announce that Hans Olav will be heading Yara Clean Ammonia. Together with the strong YCAteam, I am confident that Hans Olav will support and lead the company to the next level, spearheading the rapidly growing clean ammonia business,” said Magnus Krogh Ankarstrand, Yara International’s EVP for corporate development.
Josh Zacharias became the new group CEO of Ameropa on 15th April. Mr Zacharias, 44, was born in Washington DC and is a dual US and Swiss national. He graduated from Carleton College with a BA in Mathematics and then received an MBA from New York University. He has held a variety of junior and senior management positions in the US, Australia, Romania and Switzerland since joining Ameropa in 2009.
Mr Zacharias is currently CEO of Ameropa subsidiary Azomures, the Romanian nitrogen fertilizer producer. He started his career at Ameropa in finance, first as a financial analyst for M&A at the company’s Binningen headquarters, then as risk manager and controller at Ameropa North America, and finally as CFO at Ameropa Australia.
In 2013, he moved into the commercial side of Ameropa’s business as head of trading at Ameropa Australia and also headed the Browns retail business selling directly to farmers in Australia. In 2018, he returned to Binningen and assumed the role of Group chief risk officer for almost two years.
Andreas Zivy, chairman of Ameropa Holding AG, said: “The Board and shareholders are delighted to appoint Josh to his new position. Due to the variety of roles he held, Josh is very familiar with all of our businesses both in trading and management functions. Also, he has intimate knowledge of three of our most important markets, the US, Romania and Australia. At age 44, he offers a long-term perspective to our company, and as a member of the fourth generation of shareholders, he will continue the culture of a family company.”
Josh Zacharias commented: “I am excited and honoured to be appointed as CEO of our more than 75-year-old family-owned business with a long history of success in grains and fertilizers. During more than 15 years, I had the privilege to get to know all parts of the organization and I truly look forward to working with the many dedicated people that Ameropa has around the world.”
