Kim Fausing has been named as Holcim’s proposed chair of the board, to succeed Jan Jenisch who is take the helm at the company’s planned North American venture.
Fausing has been a member of Holcim’s board of directors since 2020 and serves on the Audit Committee. His succession to the chair is subject to a vote at the company’s Annual General Meeting in May.
Jenisch, who served as chief executive from 2017 until last year, will continues as chair until the time of the AGM. He is not standing for re-election to the role, following his appointment as the designated chair and chief executive of Holcim’s North American company (see more below).
“We are delighted to propose Kim Fausing as chairman of the board of directors to our shareholders,” Jenisch said. “Kim is a highly successful CEO of a global technology leader in energy-efficient building solutions, electrification and machine productivity. As an acting CEO for over seven years, along with five years as a Holcim board member, we are confident Kim will be a great chairman for Holcim.”
Fausing has been president and chief executive Officer for the Danfoss Group in Denmark since July 2017. Prior to this, he was chief operating officer and member of the executive committee since January 2008. Before this, from 1990 and until joining Danfoss, he held various international positions within the Hilti Group in Europe and Asia.
A Danish national born in 1964, Fausing holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Aarhus Teknikum, and an MBA from Henley Business School in the UK.
In a separate announcement, Holcim has also named its designated future board members as it takes the next steps towards the planned listing of its North American business.
The venture’s board will comprise 10 members and will become effective following the execution of the planned spin-off, expected by the end of the first half 2025, subject to shareholder and customary approvals.
As mentioned, Jan Jenisch is appointed as the designated chairman and chief executive.
The Holcim Board has also appointed nine designated independent directors to serve on the North American company’s board of directors, including Theresa Drew, Nicholas Gangestad, Dwight Gibson, Holli Ladhani, Michael E McKelvy, Jürg Oleas, Robert S. Rivkin, Katja Roth Pellanda, and Cristina A Wilbur.
These future Board members are highly experienced executives with deep expertise across key sectors including construction, manufacturing, industrial operations and financial services. They have led companies as chief executives, presidents, partners, CFOs, chief legal officers, and chief people officers, and all bring significant expertise in the North American market.
Jenisch said: “[This] is an important milestone as we prepare Holcim’s North American business to become an independent public company. The designated members of the board of directors collectively bring impressive track records and a best-in-class mix of domain expertise, diverse perspectives, and leadership experience. Together, we will deliver strong governance and support the company’s priorities of market leadership and superior value creation for shareholders, customers, employees and all stakeholders.”
Boardroom biographies
Theresa Drew had a 40-year career at Deloitte & Touche LLP where she most recently served as managing partner of the Carolinas Practice. She currently serves on the board of directors for Sonoco Products Company and The Cato Corporation.
Nicholas Gangestad most recently served as CFO of Rockwell Automation, Inc. and previously served as CFO of the 3M Company. He serves on the board of directors for Nucor Corporation and Genpact Limited.
Dwight Gibson is an operating partner and member of the investment committee at Pritzker Private Capital. He previously served as president, chief executive, and a member of the board of directors of BlueLinx Holdings Inc., a wholesale distributor of building and industrial products in the US. He serves on the board of directors of Interface, Inc.
Jan Jenisch has been a member of the Holcim board of directors since 2021 and has served as its Chairman since 2023 and as its CEO from 2017 to 2024. Before joining Holcim, Jenisch was chief executive of Sika AG from 2012 to 2017.
Holli Ladhani was president, chief executive, and a member of the board of directors of Select Energy Services, Inc. and previously served as chairman and chief executive of Rockwater Energy Solutions, Inc. She serves on the board of directors of Quanta Services, Inc.
Michael E. McKelvy is president, chief executive, and a member of the board of directors of McDermott International, Ltd, an engineering and construction solutions provider to the energy industry. He previously served as president and chief executive of Gilbane Building Company and held executive roles at CH2M HILL Companies, Ltd.
Jürg Oleas has been a member of the Holcim board of directors since 2016 and also from 2014 to 2015 and currently serves on its Audit Committee and Nomination, Compensation & Governance Committee. He was chief executive of GEA Group AG and held leadership positions at ABB and the Alstom Group.
Robert S Rivkin is senior vice president and chief legal officer for United Airlines Holdings, Inc. Previously, Rivkin served as deputy mayor of the City of Chicago, as deputy general counsel of Delta Air Lines, Inc. and as general counsel for the US Department of Transportation.
Katja Roth Pellanda is group general counsel for Zurich Insurance Company Ltd and serves on the board of directors for Farmers Group, Inc. and Zurich Italy Bank, S.p.A., both privately-held subsidiaries of Zurich Insurance. She previously held legal and corporate governance roles at Novartis AG.
Cristina A. Wilbur is the chief people officer and head of group human resources for F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Ltd., a global healthcare company. She has held several human resources leadership roles at Roche, EG&G, Inc. and PerkinElmer Optoelectronics.
Image credit: Courtesy of Holcim
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