Luke Kissam
Chief executive officer
Albemarle Corp.
US chemicals producer Albemarle Corp. has appointed Luther Kissam as CEO, effective 1 September 2011. Kissam joined the group in September 2003 as VP general counsel and corporate secretary.
What will be your chief objectives in your new role?
My objectives are not any different than most CEOs: grow the business and create an environment that allows Albemarle to attract, develop and retain the best people in the speciality chemical space.
As far as a growth strategy is concerned, in May of this year at our Investor Day, we presented Vision 2015, our plan to double the size of our business by 2015. This plan calls for a three-pronged approach: 1) build upon our leadership position and base technology platforms to maximise the value of our existing businesses; 2) extend our base technologies into adjacent areas that represent growing markets with attractive profit pools where...