Anthony O'Donovan's work philosophy has always been to leave a legacy in each role he's held, and this way of thinking has provided him direction, energy and focus throughout his career.
"It's easier for anyone to be successful if their personal values are aligned with the company's values," O'Donovan said. "If that person's values don't fit well with the company's values, it's best to part ways. This ties in well with knowing your purpose in your role and what legacy you want to create from it."
O'Donovan took over as president and CEO of Arkema Inc. in November 2021 and now oversees Arkema's activities in the U.S., Mexico and Canada. In addition, O'Donovan is the regional head of Arkema Group in North America. Arkema Group's subsidiaries in North America employ approximately 4,000 people and operate 45 industrial sites.
Anthony O’Donovan, President and CEO, Arkema Inc.
"Arkema Group has transformed itself since its creation a decade and a half ago, becoming a global leader in specialty materials with a focus on offering the most innovative and sustainable solutions to meet our customers' needs today and tomorrow," O'Donovan said. "We are well on track to achieve our goal of becoming a pure specialty materials company by 2024."
O'Donovan has held a range of manufacturing, supply chain and business leadership roles for Degussa Specialty Chemicals in South Africa and for FMC in Canada and the U.S. O'Donovan joined Arkema Inc. in 2013 as global supply chain director for fluorochemicals. Most recently, he served as regional group president for Arkema's fluorochemicals business in the Americas. He holds a bachelor's degree and a Ph.D., both in chemical engineering, from the University of Cape Town in South Africa.
"I have had many memorable moments throughout my career. However, the one I think about most is the decision I made to leave my home country of South Africa and explore a larger opportunity," said O'Donovan, who has resided in the Greater Philadelphia area since 2008. "It was a very hard decision and it preceded a difficult journey where I had to reestablish myself in a new environment, but it was certainly a turning point in my career. I've also been fortunate to have had a number of good mentors throughout my career, as well as a strong family that provides helpful advice and counseling."
According to O'Donovan, every day has different challenges and opportunities, but keeping employees healthy and safe and protecting the environment are fundamental priorities of Arkema.
"The main skills required for this position are leadership and communication," O'Donovan explained. "I have a large focus on talent management and reinforcing our strong culture based on the values of solidarity, simplicity, empowerment, inclusion and performance.
"I also have a strong focus on enabling our business leaders to achieve their growth targets through the support of strategic and capital projects and interactions with external partners. Much of my time is spent on aligning the different businesses across our portfolio and ensuring strong alignment with our global organization in France."
King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, is home to Arkema’s U.S. headquarters and main research and development location.
Building a $150 million AHF production plant
When asked to tell one of Arkema's "success stories," O'Donovan chose one that was close to his heart. In 2020, Arkema announced an innovative and long-term partnership with Nutrien Ltd., the largest integrated agricultural company in the world, for the supply of anhydrous hydrogen fluoride (AHF) to Arkema's Calvert City, Kentucky, site.
"This project has many advantages as it secures a competitive access to anhydrous hydrogen fluoride, the main raw material for fluorine chemistry; it supports the growth of fluoropolymers in the attractive segments of water treatment, electronics and batteries; and it offers greater environmental protection than more traditional production processes," O'Donovan said.
Arkema has invested $150 million in a 40,000-ton-per-year AHF production plant at Nutrien’s site in Aurora, North Carolina, scheduled to start up this year.
As part of this agreement, Arkema invested $150 million in a 40,000-ton-per-year AHF production plant at Nutrien's site in Aurora, North Carolina, scheduled to start up this year. The agreement includes the establishment of a long-term supply contract.
"For Arkema, this project replaces the need for mining fluorspar and produces AHF with a 95-percent reduction in carbon footprint," O'Donovan said. "It's a great example of a creative move toward a sustainably sourced raw material using leading technology, and a first for North America, which makes good economic sense and supports the growth of specialty materials in the attractive segments of water treatment, electronics, batteries and energy-efficient construction."
A pure specialty materials company by 2024
According to O'Donovan, Arkema offers a portfolio of first-class technologies to address ever-growing demand for new and sustainable materials. With the ambition to become a pure player in specialty materials by 2024, the Arkema Group is structured into three complementary, resilient and highly innovative segments dedicated to specialty materials: adhesive solutions, advanced materials and coating solutions. These segments accounted for 85.5 percent of the group's sales in 2021.
"Arkema offers cutting-edge, technological solutions to meet the challenges of, among other things, new energies, access to water, recycling, urbanization and mobility, and fosters a permanent dialogue with all its stakeholders," O'Donovan stated. "We are a relatively new company focused on achieving large growth, which includes significant acquisitions. An overarching goal for me is to reinforce a common culture among employees from various parts of the company. This will help provide talented employees with opportunities to obtain the right experiences across the company and enable them to grow into leadership positions.
"I would like to make Arkema's journey toward being a pure specialty materials company and our mission to help shape the future with our sustainable materials more visible to potential employees who connect with our story. If I can leave my position with a strong organization -- consisting of a talented and diverse workforce with a strong, inclusive and collaborative culture -- that is making the world a better place by bringing it sustainable solutions, I would consider that a satisfying legacy."
The Arkema Group reported sales of approximately $11.2 billion in 2021 and operates in 55 countries with 20,200 employees worldwide. According to O'Donovan, the company is on track to achieve its 2024 goals.
"Our performance in 2021 validates our strategy of sustainable growth and transformation toward sustainable, high-performance materials," O'Donovan said. "Additionally, in 2021, we launched a new visual identity and position to mark the next phase of our transformation as a company, focusing on our vision to help create a more sustainable world with our specialty materials. We will continue to focus on developing innovative, sustainable materials and new solutions to address major economic and environmental challenges."
O'Donovan is proud of Arkema's deep expertise in materials science. The company's specialty materials platform is unique in the industry, and it enables Arkema to offer high-performance, sustainable materials and services to clients in growing markets such as batteries, 3-D printing, eco-friendly paint, sports, home comfort and electronics.
"We have exceptional employees across the world," O'Donovan said. "They've shown tremendous commitment and agility over the past two years as we've dealt with the ongoing challenges of the pandemic and supply chain constraints. Their unwavering efforts greatly contributed to Arkema's strong results and continued growth in 2021."
Outside of his responsibilities with Arkema, O'Donovan is a board member of the American Chemistry Council and an executive committee member of SCI America.
"When time allows, I enjoy golf and vacationing with my family," he said. "I spend as much time with my family as possible. I have two very active children -- ages 12 and 16 -- and I enjoy attending their activities."
For more information, visit www.arkema.com or call (610) 205-7000.
