Changes to the Board of Directors and Management of Air Liquide
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- Group
The Board of Directors, which met on 8 November, examined the mandates which will expire at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders to be held on 7th May 2008. As previously announced, Mr Edouard de Royere, Honorary Chairman of Air Liquide, has indicated that he does not wish his mandate to be renewed. The Board has expressed its great appreciation for all the years of service he has given in the interests of the Group and its shareholders, particularly as Chairman and CEO, then as a director and Honorary Chairman of Air Liquide.
It is also proposed to include in the agenda at the next Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, the renewal of mandate for Professor Rolf Krebs for a further four years, as well as the nomination as directors of Madam Karen Katen and Mr Jean-Claude Buono. These proposed appointments will be submitted to the members for approval at the next Annual General Meeting of Shareholders on 7th May 2008.
Born in 1948, an American national, Madam Karen Katen has spent all her career in the Pfizer group, most recently in the position of Vice Chairman of Pfizer Inc. and President of Pfizer Human Health. With more than 30 years experience in management and operations, Madam Katen brings to Air Liquide her deep knowledge of the health sector in North America and the rest of the world.
Born in 1943, Mr Jean-Claude Buono joined Air Liquide in 1989. After more than 18 years dedicated to the Air Liquide Group, Mr Buono has taken the decision to complete his mandate as Senior Executive Vice-President, and to retire at the end of 2007. Mr Buono has contributed greatly to the development of Air Liquide in Europe and Asia and has brought to the Group his extensive financial and legal expertise. Moreover, Mr Buono brings to the Board his deep knowledge of the Group, of its business and the special nature of its shareholder base thus ensuring good continuity of Air Liquide values.
The Board of Directors has appointed, as proposed by Benoît Potier, Chairman and CEO of Air Liquide, Pierre Dufour, as Senior Executive Vice-President.
Pierre Dufour, 52, Canadian, joined the Air Liquide Group in 1997 as Director of the International Engineering Department. He has been a member of the Executive Committee since 2000 and Executive Vice-President since 2002. In particular, he supervises the Americas, Africa and Middle East zones, as well as the Large Industries business line. He is also the CEO of American Air Liquide Holdings Inc, the North American subsidiary of the Group. Pierre Dufour will assume his position once the required formalities have been completed.
With Benoît Potier, Chairman and CEO, and Klaus Schmieder and Pierre Dufour, Senior Executive Vice-Presidents, the Group’s Executive Committee will be made up of Jean-Pierre Duprieu, Asia-Pacific area and Electronics business line, Jean-Marc de Royere, Healthcare business line, François Darchis, Industrial Merchant business line, Engineering and Research, John Glen, Finance and Administration, and Ron LaBarre, Development and International Customers. Benoît Potier also appointed, with effect from 9 November 2007, Guy Salzgeber, Vice President European Industrial Business and Augustin de Roubin, Vice-President Human Resources as members of the Executive Committee.
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