ORBIA - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Accountant
- Honorary Chairman
Job Titles:
- Finance
- Member of the Finance Committee
Ben Price - Chief Investment Officer
Job Titles:
- Member of the Finance Committee
- Member of the Governance Committee
- Chief Executive Officer of Grupo CIN
- Governance
Independent director of Orbia since 2002. Divo is a businessman with more than 40 years of experience at the helm of Real Estate, and Financial Services Companies.
Divo is currently Chief Executive Officer of Grupo CIN, Pro-Invest; currently serves on the Board of Directors of: Orbia Advanced Corporation, Elementia, Grupo Financiero BX+, Net Capital and Flexstation; he is also Chairman of the Board of Grupo Aradam (Franchise Operator "Le Pain Quotidiene, México"), Quonia, Círculo de Crédito and Círculo Laboral.
Divo has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Universidad Iberoamericana in México City as well as a postgraduate Certificate for International Business Studies from Harvard University.
Board of Directors' Experience
Business Leadership/Operations, Regulatory/Public Policy/Government, Finance
Job Titles:
- Finance
- Member of the Finance Committee
- Member of the Board of Directors of Grupo Financiero Ve
Francisco is also a member of the Board of Directors of Grupo Financiero Ve por Más, Cuprum, Grupo Interprotección, the Advisory Board of Banamex, the Communication Council and the Business Council of Alianza del Pacifico. He supports various causes, such as sponsorship of high-performance athletes, campaigns and initiatives focused on the care and preservation of the environment, and housing programs.
Job Titles:
- Corporate Vice President of Strategy
A chemical engineer by training with over 20 years of management experience in the chemical industry, Gautam has led wide-ranging business transformation efforts that unlock significant value. Since joining Orbia in 2017, Gautam has elevated Alphagary to an industry leadership position on the back of providing innovative solutions tailored to customer needs. Prior to joining Orbia, Gautam held executive leadership roles spanning marketing, strategy and general management for Honeywell, DuPont and Unilever. He has lived and worked in Southeast Asia and Europe during his tenure at DuPont and Unilever. Gautam holds a PhD in chemical technology from the University of Twente, an MBA from Columbia Business School and a B.S. degree in chemical engineering from the University of Bombay.
Gautam Nivarthy serves as Corporate Vice President of Strategy for Orbia and is responsible for steering Orbia's strategic partnerships, new business development activities and execution on organic and inorganic growth initiatives. In addition, as Executive Vice President and President in Orbia's Polymer Solutions business group, he leads the Alphagary business, which focuses on providing material solutions spanning polymer compounds, plasticizers and heat stabilizers that are used across industries to enhance everyday lives.
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President & President of Orbia 's Fluor & Energy
Gregg Smith is Executive Vice President & President of Orbia's Fluor & Energy Materials business group, represented by the Koura business. Koura is leading in the development, manufacture and supply of fluoroproducts that play a fundamental role in advancing everyday lives, with applications in sectors from medicine to construction to transportation to telecommunications.
Gregg has over three decades of global experience in the specialty materials and chemicals industries, with an established track record in general management, business development, entrepreneurship and technology development that unlocks growth.
Since joining Orbia in 2018, Gregg has led Koura to a competitive position in the fluorine value chain by expanding into existing and new verticals where fluorine is essential. Prior to joining Orbia, Gregg held executive leadership roles spanning operations, commercial and business development and technology at Cabot Corporation. He has had a successful history as a corporate entrepreneur and technology developer with the creation of new businesses and materials for inkjet and electrophotographic printing, carbon-reinforced composites and lithium-ion battery technologies.
Gregg holds an MBA from Northeastern University and a B.S. degree in chemical engineering from the University of New Hampshire.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Finance Committee
- Finance
- Economist and Professor
- Member of the South East Airports
Independent director of Orbia since 2010. Guillermo is an economist and professor with a long history in the finance sector.
Guillermo is a member of the South East Airports and Vitro Boards of Directors.
Job Titles:
- Corporate Vice President, Internal Audit
Jorge Luis is the corporate vice president of internal audit. He has more than 20 years of experience in finance, treasury, credit, risk assessment, auditing, and internal controls.
Job Titles:
- Finance
- Member of the Finance Committee
Independent director of Orbia since 2020. Jack is a seasoned executive and investor with a deep understanding of global and local markets in the plastics, chemicals, oil services, outsourcing and information technology verticals.
James P. Kelly (Jim) is Senior Vice President and CFO of Orbia and brings over 30 years of experience to leading Orbia's finance organization and presiding over the accounting, treasury, financial planning and analysis, tax and investor relations functions.
Jim is a seasoned executive with extensive experience in building global finance organizations and a track record of financial and operational leadership in the chemical and manufacturing industries. He has expertise in establishing best-in-class finance systems, processes and fundamentals that enhance organizational resilience and support growth. Prior to joining Orbia, Jim held a variety of senior positions, most recently serving as Vice President and Corporate Controller of Cabot Corporation, where he oversaw all reporting and internal control activities, finance process improvements and facilitation of Cabot's Audit Committee activities. Over the course of his career, Jim lived and worked across several continents and steered teams in corporate reporting, business financial planning and analysis, investor relations and internal audit. Jim holds an MBA from Harvard University and a B.S. degree in accounting from Georgetown University.
Job Titles:
- Director, Global Business Development
Orbia is a company driven by a shared purpose: to advance life around the world.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Member of the Finance Committee
- Member of the Governance Committee
- Governance
Chairman of Orbia since 2011. Juan Pablo is a disciplined and experienced business leader with an expertise in steering growth companies to sustainability and profitability.
Since becoming chairman in 2011, he steered the transformation of Orbia from a local chemicals company into a global leader in innovative fluor, polymer, precision agriculture, data communication and building and infrastructure solutions. Del Valle has led the real estate investment division for Grupo Empresarial Kaluz, his family business, and facilitated Kaluz's participation in Orbia since 2003. Previously, he founded Grupo Módulo Progresivo, an affordable housing development company, and worked for Telmex from 1996 to 1999 on the first fiber optic sea cable project connecting the United States, Mexico and South America.
He holds a board chairman position for Elementia Materiales SAB; is the chairman of Agua Capital, Mexico City's first water fund and is a co-chairman of the Latin America Conservation Council at The Nature Conservancy.
Juan Pablo holds a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering from Anáhuac University and a master of business administration (MBA) from Harvard Business School.
Job Titles:
- Corporate Communications Director
- Media
Job Titles:
- Director Open Innovation & New Ventures
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Governance Committee
- Member of the Audit Committee
- Member of the Finance Committee
- Governance
Independent director of Orbia since 2019. Her background combines corporate experience, management consulting and entrepreneurship. She is currently the head of LATAM for Stripe, a fintech working on growing the GDP of the internet, and was previously the Managing Director for Google in Mexico.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Audit Committee
- Executive Advisor
- Member of the Finance Committee
- Audit
Independent director of Orbia since 2021. Mark is an executive advisor guiding Fortune 500 companies through transformation.
Job Titles:
- Global Director of Circular Economy & Regeneration
Job Titles:
- Member of the Audit Committee
- Member of the Finance Committee
- Member of the Governance Committee
- Governance
- Professor and Advisor
Independent director of Orbia since 2021. Mihir is a seasoned professor and advisor with a deep understanding of tax policy, international finance and corporate finance. His academic publications have appeared in leading economics, finance and law journals.
Assists the Board in appointing and overseeing the performance of the Company's independent auditors and ensuring the integrity of the Company's financial statements; evaluating and overseeing the performance of the Company's internal controls and internal audit function, among other related duties. This Committee also monitors the Company's major risk exposures.
Job Titles:
- General Manager Growth and Technology, Koura
Job Titles:
- Member of the Audit Committee
- Member of the Finance Committee
- Audit
Independent director of Orbia since 2018. Alma is a diplomat and experienced businesswoman with ample experience in finance and energy.
Nicholas P. Ballas (Nick) is an Executive Vice President as well as a President in Orbia's Polymer Solutions business group. Nick steers the Vestolit business, a leader in advancing lives by producing basic materials, advanced materials and formulated solutions in a diverse set of end markets.
Nick is an accomplished executive with extensive global experience in the chemical and manufacturing industries. He has a track record of developing and executing strategy, enhancing operations and delivering top- and bottom-line results. Prior to joining Orbia in 2020, Nick served for eight years as an Executive Vice President of Nexans SA, a worldwide leader in the cable industry, where he led the company's Asia Pacific business division. Nick also served as a director of Nexans Foundation, where he helped steer efforts to bring electricity to disadvantaged communities throughout the world. Nick´s prior experiences include consulting work at Cathedral Hill Advisory, Samudera Shipping in Indonesia and an early career at Cabot Corporation where he was instrumental in building the company's business in the Asia Pacific region. Nick is currently a board member at Samudera Shipping Line. Nick holds a Master of International Management degree from the Thunderbird School of Global Management and a B.S. degree from St. Cloud State University.
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President & President of Orbia 's Connectivity Solutions
Peter Hajdu is Executive Vice President & President of Orbia's Connectivity Solutions business group and business Dura-Line, a company that produces more than 400 million meters of cable conduit yearly to create the physical pathways that fiber and other technologies utilize to connect cities and homes.
Peter joined Orbia in 2018 to lead the Dura-Line brand. Having held multiple executive positions in Cisco's EMEA and emerging markets operations, Peter has great knowledge and vision on how to improve lives through data. Prior to his work at Cisco, Peter was a consultant at McKinsey & Company, serving clients in the chemicals, automotive, airline, and banking sectors.
He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, where he obtained his MBA and management of technology degree.
Job Titles:
- Senior Director of Services and Digital
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- President of Orbia 's Fluorinated Solutions & Polymer Solutions
- Strategic Leader With a Track Record
Sameer S. Bharadwaj most recently has served as President of Orbia's Fluorinated Solutions & Polymer Solutions business groups, a set of businesses that are leaders in advancing lives through basic materials and advanced materials, formulated solutions and services in a diverse set of end markets. In addition to his role as Orbia's Chief Executive Officer, Sameer also currently serves as the President in Orbia's Building & Infrastructure business group (Wavin), an innovative solutions provider building healthy, sustainable environments that address sanitation and city-scale water management, indoor and mobile climate management and climate-resilient infrastructure.
With more than 20 years of experience, Sameer is a proven strategic leader with a track record of fostering business growth through technology-led innovation, operational excellence and talent development across the advanced materials, technology, energy and pharmaceutical industries.
Since joining Orbia in 2016 to lead the compounds business group, Sameer has assumed leadership of the Alphagary, Koura and Vestolit commercial brands and brought Orbia's fluorine-based and PVC and vinyl polymer compound solution portfolios to competitive market positions and his global teams to high levels of performance. Prior to joining Orbia, Sameer held numerous executive leadership positions over the course of an 11-year tenure at Cabot Corporation, most recently as Vice President and General Manager, where he steered go-to-market strategy and commercialization of new technologies with a key focus in the energy and materials spaces. Before that, Sameer worked as a strategy consultant for The Boston Consulting Group, where he served clients in the metals, telecommunications, technology, biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. He started his career as a senior research engineer at The Dow Chemical Company.
Sameer has an MBA from Harvard Business School, a Ph.D in chemical engineering from the University of Minnesota and a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Bombay.
Being an entrepreneur himself, Shai founded a successful start-up and served in business development and marketing roles in several other start-ups. Today he is a mentor and an active investor to several start-ups and entrepreneurs. Before joining Orbia in 2018, Shai led the Product Management, Product Marketing, and Strategic Crops units at Netafim. Prior to his position at Netafim, Shai worked as a project manager at McKinsey & Co., providing global multinational companies with guidance on a broad range of strategic, organizational and M&A topics. Shai holds a BA in computer science with distinction from the IDC and an MBA from INSEAD.
As vice president of innovation and ventures, Shai is responsible for Orbia's innovation activity and for Orbia Ventures, our corporate venture capital (CVC) fund.
Sheldon Hirt - Chief Legal Officer, SVP
Job Titles:
- General Counsel
- Senior Vice President
Sheldon Hirt is Orbia's senior vice president and general counsel. He oversees Orbia's legal, compliance, and regulation organization, making sure that we continue to grow our business responsibly.
Prior to joining Orbia, Sheldon worked at Amneal Pharmaceuticals, where he was a member of the executive leadership team. Sheldon has significant experience handling the legal and compliance matters affecting international pharmaceutical companies such as Johnson & Johnson, Actavis, and Progenics Pharmaceuticals. He specializes in mergers and acquisitions, licensing, securities, and corporate governance.
Sheldon holds a bachelor's degree in international affairs from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs and acquired a juris doctor degree from Columbia Law School.