Platform Specialty Products Names New CEO, President of Agricultural Solutions Segment
24 March 2016
Global specialty chemical company, Platform Specialty Products Corp., began 2016 with a couple of high-profile changes to its executive team. Platform’s Board of Directors appointed Rakesh Sachdev as its new Chief Executive Officer following the retirement of Daniel H. Leever as president and CEO. Sachdev stepped into his role in January. In addition, Diego Lopez Casanello was named President of Platform’s Agricultural Solutions segment. He joined Platform in February.
“Rakesh’s deep leadership, strategy and execution experience are precisely the strengths Platform was looking for in its next chief executive,” said Platform’s Chairman, Martin E. Franklin. “He is the right leader at this stage of Platform’s growth. We are highly confident in Rakesh’s ability to lead Platform as it continues towards its goal of becoming a best-in-class global, diversified specialty chemicals company. I look forward to working closely with Rakesh in the coming years.”
Sachdev served most recently as President and Chief Executive Officer of Sigma-Aldrich.
“I am honored to be joining Platform at such an exciting time,” Sachdevs said. “There are immense opportunities ahead, both in the short term with the integrations of the recently completed acquisitions, and in the long term to build and broaden Platform’s businesses. We have some work in front of us to fully realize the value potential of the company, but I believe we are building the right team in place to succeed.”
Casanello most recently spent more than 20 years at BASF, serving most recently as Senior Vice President and head of the Agricultural Products Division, Asia Pacific.
“I am excited to join Platform and to lead its agricultural products business,” Casanello said. “There are significant opportunities ahead of us and I look forward to helping my team create value from our portfolio of our three recently combined businesses. Consistent with Platform’s mindset, we will focus on driving free cash flow through organic growth opportunities in high margin segments and cost management. There is a lot that we can accomplish.”
Read more on these and other recent Platform hirings.
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