LANXESS Corporation has announced the retirement of President and Chief Executive Officer, Antonis Papadourakis. Frederique van Baarle, member of the Board of Management and Labor Direcor of LANXESS AG, assumed the role of President and CEO for the company’s Americas region on Oct. 1.

“It has been an honor to have been a part of the world-class team at LANXESS, and having the opportunity to work alongside so many amazing colleagues,” said Papadourakis, who officially retired on September 30, 2023 after more than eight years as President and CEO of LANXESS Corporation. “I’m eternally grateful for the wonderful experiences and the professional and personal relationships developed during my tenure here. The team, and future operations within the region, have a bright future with Frederique van Baarle at the helm.” 

In April 2023, the LANXESS Board of Management welcomed van Baarle as board member with oversight of the company’s operations in the Americas region, as well as Labor Director.  A native of the Netherlands, van Baarle recently relocated from global headquarters in Cologne, Germany to the Americas region, which is headquartered in Pittsburgh – marking the first time in company history that a board member has been based outside of Germany.

Ms. van Baarle has held various management and leadership roles with the company since joining in 2011, and brings more than 20 years of global chemical industry experience to her new role. She previously led the company’s High Performance Materials business unit, which spun off in a joint venture in April 2023, after heading a regional Engineering Plastics business line and serving in various management positions at at Royal DSM before joining LANXESS.

“I am very excited for the opportunity to lead the team here in the Americas, which is becoming an increasingly important region for our industry and for LANXESS,” said van Baarle. “I’m incredibly appreciative for the leadership Antonis has shown over the past few months during this transition, and I look forward to meeting so many colleagues and building upon the well-established safety and sustainability programs already in place.” 

Papadourakis, who joined the company as CEO in 2015, retires after a 35+ year career in the chemical industry.