People

China: Tongfang Kontafarma has appointed Chai Hongjie as its chairman. He succeeds Huang Yu, who will become the company’s president. The company, through its subsidiaries, mainly manufactures and sells cement, clinker and slag, trades cement and provides technical services with operations in Shandong province and Shanghai.

Chai, aged 46 years, has experience in corporate management and strategic planning for business development. He is currently the chairman of the board of directors of Shenzhen Waranty and a director of Shenzhen Huakong Seg. Prior to joining Tongfang Kontafarma group, Chai held positions as chairman of the board, directors and senior management in various companies and organisations, including the Changzhi Division of China Banking Regulatory Commission, Shanxi Guoxin Investment Group, Zhonghesheng Capital, Shanxi Financial Investment Holding Group and Shanxi Guotou Sports Industrial Group.

Chai obtained a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Department of Finance, Shanxi Institute of Economics (now known as Shanxi University of Economics) in 1996. He was qualified as an intermediate accountant in 1997.

UK: The Mineral Products Association (MPA) has appointed Simon Willis as its chairman for the next two years. He succeeds Martin Riley, Senior Vice President at Tarmac, as the eighth incumbent in the role. Willis is currently the chief executive officer (CEO) of HeidelbergCement subsidiary Hanson UK. He holds experience in the aggregates and construction materials industry and has held previous directorship roles at Eurovia Infrastructure, Midland Quarry Products and Tarmac.

India: Ambuja Cement has appointed Rajani Kesari as its chief financial officer (CFO). She succeeds Sonal Shrivastava, who has moved to a new role in LafargeHolcim Group.

Kesari holds over 26 years of experience in accounting, finance, taxation, audit and general management in manufacturing, pharmaceutical as well as auditing and consulting companies. She is currently the CFO of ACC, another subsidiary of LafargeHolcim. Prior to that she was the Head of Finance for Asia Region for LafargeHolcim Group. She joined LafarqeHolcim Group in 2018 from Schneider Electric, an energy management and automation company where she was the CFO for East Asia and Japan Zone.

Kesari started her career in 1991 in finance and auditing with Lovelock & Lewes. Apart from LafargeHolcim Group, she has worked in senior positions with organisations including KPMG, Dr Reddy's Laboratories and Schneider Electric. Kesari is a qualified chartered accountant from ICAI, a Cost Accountant from ICWAI and a certified public accountant from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountant.

India: JK Cement has appointed Sushila Devi Singhania as the chairperson of its board. She has been a director of the cement producer since 2014. She also holds directorships with Yadu International and GH Securities, as well as leading roles with several educational organisations in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh.

Denmark: FLSmidth has appointed Tamer Eid as the new president for the Australia region, with effect from 14 September 2020, and Claudio Garcia Bernal as president for the South America region. The group also announced that Ramanathan (Ram) Chandran, who was appointed president for the Subcontinental India region in August 2020, will start his role on 4 September 2020.

Tamer Eid has held various senior executive and technical roles in the mining and oil and gas sectors including working with Weir in the US and UK and in various senior roles within Outotec. He holds an MBA and a degree in mechanical engineering. He will be based out of FLSmidth’s Welshpool facility in Perth, Australia.

Claudio Garcia Bernal previously served as acting president for the South America region since April 2020. Ramanathan Chandran joins FLSmdith from Minerals Technologies Inc. where he was Vice President (Minteq Asia) & MD (Minerals Technologies India).