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AkzoNobel CEO Named the 2026 ICIS CEO of the Year

Greg Poux-Guillaume joined AkzoNobel in November 2022 as CEO and Chairman of the Board of Management, bringing 30 years of experience.

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By: Rachel Klemovitch

Assistant Editor

ICIS announced Greg Poux-Guillaume, CEO of AkzoNobel, as the winner of the 2026 ICIS CEO of the Year Award for outstanding achievement.

The ICIS CEO of the Year Award is unique in the chemical industry because the winner is selected by peers through a vote among industry CEOs in the ICIS Top 40 Power Players. This is a global ranking of leaders driving the greatest positive impact on their companies and the chemical industry, published in ICIS Chemical Business. An interview with Poux-Guillaume will be published in an upcoming issue.

“I’m honored to receive this award on behalf of the entire AkzoNobel team and thank my peers for their recognition. This distinction is a testament to the dedication and hard work of the people of AkzoNobel. Together we brought the company to this pivotal moment, as we prepare to combine our strengths with Axalta. We will continue to lead the way in paints and coatings and to serve our customers with an unyielding focus on sustainable innovation,” said Greg Poux-Guillaume, CEO of AkzoNobel.

Greg Poux-Guillaume joined AkzoNobel in November 2022 as CEO and Chairman of the Board of Management, bringing 30 years of experience in industrial businesses and private equity. Afterwards, he stepped down as chairman of the Board of Directors of medmix Ltd.

Poux-Guillaume was previously CEO of Sulzer (2015 to 2022) following a period as CEO of GE Grid Solutions. From 2011 to 2015, he was Executive Vice-President of Alstom Group and served as President and CEO of Alstom Grid. 

In selecting the winner, each of the ICIS Top 40 Power Players was asked to vote for three individuals based on achievements in Innovation (technology, product, business process), Profitability/Shareholder value, Projects, M&A/Portfolio Management, Advocacy and ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance).

Previous winners of ICIS CEO awards, as voted on by the ICIS Top 40 Power Players, include ADNOC CEO Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber (2025), Arkema CEO Thierry Le Henaff (2024), former ExxonMobil Product Solutions president Karen McKee (2023), Dow CEO Jim Fitterling (2022), former BASF CEO Martin Brudermuller (2021) and Saudi Aramco CEO Amin Nasser (2020).

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