People

Germany: BWF Envirotec has appointed Nikolai Beranek as the managing director for its EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) area and South America. He succeeds Thomas Chodora in the role, who will now manage human resources on an interim basis.

Beranek has worked for BWF Group for over six years in various management positions. As Director Human Resources he was responsible for human resources and he also worked in controlling.

Chodora was previously in charge of human resources at BWF Group from 2008 to 2016. He has held management positions as managing director at BWF Profiles, responsible for plastic products and thermoformed parts, and BWF Envirotec.

Nigeria: The Cement Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (CMAN) has appointed Mohammed Lawal Bello as its chair.

Bello started his career 1985 as an engineer with the engineering and technical services department of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and left in 1988 to set up his businesses. He is the founder of the Universal Petroleum Company, Robinson International Inspections, International Diamond Drilling Company and he also owns a joint-venture with US-based Delaney. His executive positions include chair of Nitel-Mtel and vice-chair of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission in Ambuja. He is also the chair of the Gede Foundation, a non-government organisation focused on health projects. Bello is a graduate of Harvard University in the US and a member of the Energy Institute in the UK.

Argentina: Holcim Argentina has appointed Sergio Vaimberg as its Chief Marketing Officer. He joined Holcim in mid-2020 with roles in Argentina and Mexico, according to the Norte en Linea newspaper. Prior to this he worked mostly for Coca-Cola in Argentina. Vaimberg is a certified public accountant, holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and has a postgraduate degree in leadership from the Harvard Business School.

UK: Ecocem has appointed Olivier Guise appointed as its Executive Director for Strategy, Technology and New Business. The newly created role will see him join the Ecocem executive team to develop and operate the company’s strategy and to accelerate progress in bringing products to the global cement and concrete market.

Guise holds over 17 years of experience working in the construction materials industry, having been General Manager of Cement and ExCo at LafargeHolcim France until 2021. Prior to this, he held various roles at LafargeHolcim across both its French and Algerian markets, including General Manager of the Aggregates Business in the South of France, Innovation and Route to Market Director and Cement Capacity Development Director.

US: Mississippi Lime has appointed Fiona Woody as its Director of Sustainability and ESG (environmental, social and corporate governance). Prior to this she worked as Sustainability Excellence Manager at Bayer from 2018 and in a variety of roles at Monsanto since 2021. Woody holds a Bachelor of Arts with an emphasis in communication from Arizona State University.