US: LafargeHolcim US has appointed Toufic Tabbara as the chief executive officer (CEO) of US cement operations. He succeeds Jamie Gentoso, who was appointed by Switzerland-based LafargeHolcim as Global Head, Solutions & Products Business Unit and a Group Executive Committee Member in March 2021.

Tabbara joined Lafarge in 1998, beginning his career in the gypsum division, followed by roles in ready mix concrete, asphalt and construction operations in the US and Canada. In 2012, he was named Country CEO for Jordan, responsible for ready mix operations, two cement plants and one grinding plant. Later, following the merger of Lafarge and Holcim, he became the Country CEO for Algeria, where he oversaw ready mix, aggregates, gypsum and cement operations, in addition to a central research lab.

He received his Master of Business Administration from the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Arizona and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon.

UK: Aggregate Industries has appointed Dragan Maksimovic as its chief executive officer (CEO). He succeeds Guy Edwards, who is leaving the company.

Maksimovic joins the subsidiary of LafargeHolcim from Sika, where he worked most recently as Country CEO in the UK. He holds an MBA from the University of Sheffield and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. He has also completed an International Leadership Program at IMD in Switzerland.

Australia: FCT Group has appointed Adriano Greco as its chief executive officer (CEO). He succeeds Constantine Manias in the role, who will retain the post of executive chairman.

Greco has served the company as American regional CEO since 2015 and implemented its Brazilian business. He brings over 20 years of pyro-processing experience from management roles in the Americas, China and Europe while working for Greco Combustion Systems and Gebr. Pfeiffer.

South Africa: Pieter Fourie, the chief executive officer of Sephaku Cement, has died. He passed away on 19 May 2021 following suffering a stroke earlier in the month. He is survived by a wife, three children and five grandchildren.

Fourie became the head of the subsidiary of Nigeria-based Dangote Cement in 2007. He later became a board director of the company in 2009 after its stock market listing. His previous roles included being marketing director of Blue Circle, which was subsequently acquired by Lafarge South Africa, the managing director of the cement business unit of Lafarge South Arica and Strategic Development Director for Africa based at the Lafarge head office in France. Fourie’s role at Blue Circle included sales, distribution and marketing before being promoted to managing director of the cement business. He subsequently accepted the assignment at Lafarge’s head office in a strategic development role to integrate the newly acquired business in Africa into Lafarge’s portfolio.