Twice winner of the America's Cup and a two-time participant in the Volvo Ocean Race, Tienpont is an ambitious partner. A natural born leader and skipper of the team, he reflects many of the qualities the company values in its own employees.

"This is a unique opportunity for us to harness our combined energy and ambition, channeling it into a sustainable partnership," said AkzoNobel CEO Ton Büchner. "It will also enable us to captivate people around the world and explore new business opportunities while highlighting how we create everyday essentials to make people's lives more livable and inspiring."

Speaking at a launch event in Scheveningen, the Netherlands, Conrad Keijzer, the company's Executive Committee member responsible for Performance Coatings, added, "Partnering with Simeon is a winning combination. It brings together our market-leading performance in marine and yacht coatings with a true leader who puts teamwork first and is both determined and inspirational - qualities we value highly at AkzoNobel."

Trained as a naval architect and engineer, Tienpont is no stranger to winning demanding endurance races, having triumphed in the America's Cup in 2010 and 2013. "I'm honored and incredibly excited to be the skipper of team AkzoNobel," he said. "We're both focused on high performance and share the same passion for success. I can't wait to start racing."

Due to start in October 2017 and end in mid-2018, the world-famous race, which attracts millions of followers, will stop at the following cities: Alicante (Spain), Lisbon (Portugal), Cape Town (South Africa), Hong Kong, Guangzhou (China), Auckland (New Zealand), Itajaí (Brazil), Newport (United States), Cardiff (Wales), Gothenburg (Sweden), The Hague (The Netherlands).

For more information and to follow team AkzoNobel's adventures, visit www.teamakzonobel.com.