The Business Side: Personnel Moves at BASF, Chevron, DuPont and Shell

March 19, 2025

Here’s a roundup of key executive moves at major companies in the chemical and energy industries.

Several global chemical and energy companies have announced leadership changes, reflecting strategic shifts and operational priorities. From BASF’s new North American CEO to Chevron’s restructuring efforts, here’s a roundup of the latest executive moves shaping the industry.

BASF Corp. Names New CEO

In early March, BASF's board of directors announced the following personnel changes:

Heather Remley, president of global engineering services at the company's global headquarters in Ludwigshafen, will become president and CEO of BASF Corp., the company's North American division, effective April 1.

The move follows the announcement that current CEO Marc Ehrhardt has decided to step down from his post.

Christian Aucoin, the company's senior vice president of global operations agricultural solutions in Germany, will succeed Remley.

Chevron Senior Leadership Changes

In late February, Chevron Corp. announced several moves, including senior leadership changes, as part of its restructuring efforts.

The company’s oil, products and gas organization will be consolidated into upstream and downstream and midstream and chemicals segments. Mark Nelson will continue to lead the division as vice chairman and executive vice president.

Clay Neff, currently president, international exploration and production, will assume the role of president, upstream.

Bruce Niemeyer, currently president, Americas exploration and production, will take over as president, shale and tight.

The company also said its technical center will be organized as Technology, Projects & Execution (TP&E). Ryder Booth, currently vice president of the company's mid-continent business unit, will lead TP&E as vice president.

Neff, Niemeyer and Booth will assume their new positions effective July 1.

Balaji Krishnamurthy, currently vice president, Chevron Technical Center, will take over as president of the company's Australian operations effective April 1.

DuPont Names CEO of Electronics Spinoff Company

DuPont named Jon Kemp, president of DuPont Electronics and Industrial as the CEO of the business unit that the company plans to spin off by Nov. 1.

DuPont Electronics would become an independent public company focused on materials and technology solutions for the semiconductor and electronics industries, said DuPont in a press statement.

Kemp has served DuPont for more than 20 years, with early roles in business development and marketing to commercial and business leadership positions and serving as president of the $6 billion electronics and industrial segment for the past six years.

Shell Announces Executive Changes

On March 4, Shell announced changes to its executive committee and leadership structure to support its strategy of delivering more value with fewer emissions.

Zoë Yujnovich, integrated gas and upstream director, will step down effective March 31. Yujnovich will assist with the transition, after which she will leave the group.

The company appointed Cederic Cremers to president of integrated gas, and Peter Costello as president of upstream. Both will join the executive committee on April 1.

Cremers has served as executive vice president of liquefied natural gas since August 2021, a role that was expanded in 2024 to include Shell’s gas-to-liquids assets. He joined Shell’s retail business in 2002 and has held a variety of finance and commercial roles across the company's upstream and downstream businesses.

Costello has held the role of executive vice president of conventional oil and gas since November 2021 after serving as senior vice president of that same business. He joined Shell in 2016 as vice president of its operations in Nigeria and Gabon following the company’s combination with BG Group.

About the Author

Amanda Joshi | Managing Editor

Amanda Joshi has more than 18 years of experience in business-to-business publishing for both print and digital content. Before joining Chemical Processing, she worked with Manufacturing.net and Electrical Contracting Products. She’s a versatile, award-winning editor with experience in writing and editing technical content, executing marketing strategy, developing new products, attending industry events and developing customer relationships.

Amanda graduated from Northern Illinois University in 2001 with a B.A. in English and has been an English teacher. She lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and daughter, and their mini Aussiedoodle, Riley. In her rare spare time, she enjoys reading, tackling DIY projects, and horseback riding.