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ArcelorMittal Appoints New Chief Executive of Stainless Division
09/23/2010 - ArcelorMittal has appointed Bernard Fontana as Chief Executive of its Stainless Division, which is currently being assessed for a potential spin-off. Willie Smit will replace Fontana as Executive Vice President, Head of Human Resources, and will join the Group’s Management Committee.
ArcelorMittal has appointed Bernard Fontana as Chief Executive of its Stainless Division, which is currently being assessed for a potential spin-off. Fontana, previously Head of Human Resources for the Group, is replacing Jean-Yves Gilet, who has left the company to head up France’s Strategic Investment Fund. He will report to Gonzalo Urquijo, Member of the Group Management Board of ArcelorMittal.
Fontana joined Arcelor as Senior Vice President of Human Resources, Flat Products Europe in 2004. A graduate of Ecole Polytechnique in France, he was hired by French chemical group SNPE in 1986, becoming deputy CEO. With the merger of ArcelorMittal in 2006, he was appointed as Executive Vice President of the Global Automotive business.
Willie Smit, who was Vice President Employee Relations & Benchmarking, will replace Fontana as Executive Vice President, Head of Human Resources, and will join the Group’s Management Committee. Prior to joining ArcelorMittal in 2005, Smit held senior HR positions at leading mining, manufacturing, and construction companies. The most recent was as Vice President of Human Resources at Siberian-Urals Aluminium Co. (SUAL) in Russia.
“Bernard Fontana has a successful track record in both the operational and commercial aspects of the Group’s business, so he is well placed to lead our Stainless Division into its next exciting phase of development, as we assess its potential spin-off,” said Lakshmi Mittal, Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO.
“The fact that these are two internal appointments also demonstrates the strength of leadership talent within ArcelorMittal,” Mittal added. “Willie Smit has provided strong, reliable support to Bernard over the years, so he is a natural replacement and I look forward to his contributions to the Management Committee.”
With operations in more than 60 countries and an industrial presence in more than 20 countries spanning four continents, ArcelorMittal leads major global steel markets, including automotive, construction, household appliances and packaging, with leading R&D and technology, as well as sizeable captive supplies of raw materials and outstanding distribution networks. In 2009, ArcelorMittal had revenues of $65.1 billion and crude steel production of 73.2 million tonnes, representing approximately 8% of world steel output.
