Chile: Yura has appointed Tiago Nogueira as general manager of its operations in Chile. The Revista Economía newspaper has reported that Nogueira will lead the Peru-based producer’s expansion strategy in the country.
Nogueira brings 20 years’ experience as a metallurgical engineer in the materials industry. He has previously spearheaded strategies aimed at driving business scalability in Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay.
US: CalPortland has appointed Bill Mullen as president. He will work with CEO Allen Hamblen, who will remain in the post. Mullen will be responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations and executing the company’s strategic initiatives.
Mullen has worked for CalPortland since 2001. He started as Vice President Sales - Nevada Materials Group, later became Senior Vice President Materials Group in 2018 and then Chief Operating Officer in 2024. Earlier in his career he worked for TXI as a Regional Sales Manager. He is a graduate in business administration from Stephen F Austin State University and holds an Executive Master in Business Administration and Management from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.
UK: Holcim UK has appointed Krish Patel as plant manager of its upcoming cement facility at Tilbury in Essex. When commissioned in mid-2026, the facility will consist of a terminal on the River Thames, equipped with six loading heads and five weighbridges, and production facilities for ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) and EcoPlanet 30% reduced-CO2 sulphate-resistant cement. Civil engineering work is already complete and structural and mechanical installation is underway. Holcim UK described the upcoming Tilbury facility as a ‘key hub’ in its future supply of cement to the South of England.
Krish Patel said "Tilbury will be a flagship terminal not only for Holcim, but for the wider industry."
Patel rejoined Holcim UK in March 2025 from Heidelberg Materials UK, where he managed the Purfleet grinding plant in Essex. He originally trained as a manager in Holcim UK’s asphalt operations in Greenwich, London, before which time he was an international sales representative at specialist electronics provider Advanced Power Components. Patel holds a bachelor’s degree in Mineral Products from the University of Derby.
Germany: Heidelberg Materials has appointed Göktuğ Aktaş as Commercial Director - East Africa Cluster. He is responsible for the company’s commercial strategy in Tanzania, Mozambique and South Africa.
Aktaş has worked for Heidelberg Materials since 2018. He started as Performance Manager (Northern and Eastern Europe-Central Asia) and then became Director - Africa, Mediterranean and West Asia in 2024. Prior to this, he was employed by Akçansa from 2011 to 2018. Starting in quality management roles, he became Country Production and Quality Manager in 2017. He holds an undergraduate degree in science and civil engineering from Istanbul Technical University and a master’s of business administration (MBA) qualification from Istanbul University.
