Vanacker, who has more than 30 years of experience in the European and global chemical industry, moves from Finnish refiner Neste, where he has been president and CEO since 2018. His appointment to succeed Bhavesh (Bob) Patel, who left the company at the end of 2021 to become CEO of W. R. Grace from January 2022. Announcing the changes, LYB was announced last December, with June 2022 named as the last starting date for the new chief executive.
 
In the gap between Patel’s departure and Vanacker’s arrival, Kenneth Lane, executive vice president, global olefins and polyolefins for LyondellBasell, was appointed to serve as the Dutch-based, Texas-managed group’s interim CEO, while continuing to fill his existing role.

Author: Dede Williams, Freelance Journalist