On 23 May 2022, Peter Vanacker is scheduled to start as CEO of US polyolefins giant LyondellBasell (LYB, Houston, Texas; www.lyondellbasell.com), the company said. To date, the resin maker had noted that Bhavesh “Bob” Patel’s successor would take up the job “in the first half of the year”.

As reported earlier (see Plasteurope.com of 13.12.2021), Vanacker comes from Neste (Espoo, Finland; www.neste.com), where he was CEO until December 2021. Prior to that, Vanacker, whose career began at Bayer MaterialScience, temporarily headed speciality chemicals supplier CABB and BOPP film manufacturer Treofan (see Plasteurope.com of 18.03.2015 and 10.07.2012).

At LYB, big tasks await the newcomer: the group has set itself ambitious targets for climate protection and circular economy, which the supervisory board wants Vanacker to drive forward. Patel, on the other hand, joined speciality chemicals company W.R. Grace (Columbia, Maryland, USA; www.grace.com) as CEO on 1 January 2022 (see Plasteurope.com of 03.09.2021).