BAM nominates Ruud Joosten as new CEO
Bunnik, the Netherlands, 6 July 2020 – The Supervisory Board of Royal BAM Group nv has decided to nominate Ruud Joosten as CEO and chairman of the Executive Board as per 1 September 2020. Joosten (55) has a long-standing career at AkzoNobel, where he has held numerous leadership positions. The last eight years he was member of the Executive Committee and since 2017 Chief Operating Officer, responsible for business performance.
Joosten will succeed interim CEO Frans den Houter, who will continue in his role as CFO. He stepped in as interim when Rob van Wingerden left at the end of his term on 15 April 2020. Per 1 September 2020 Joosten and Den Houter together will form the Executive Board of BAM.
The nomination for appointment of Joosten as member of the Executive Board in the role of CEO and chairman of the Executive Board, for a period of approximately four years until the general meeting in 2024, will be summitted to shareholders for approval at an extraordinary general meeting to be convened on Monday 24 August 2020. The Central Works Council of BAM has rendered a positive advice on the nomination.
Harrie Noy, chairman of the Supervisory Board: ‘With Ruud Joosten we nominate a seasoned and highly effective business leader. He brings a wealth of experience to BAM based on successful fulfillment of a wide range of leadership positions, both in the Netherlands and abroad. Important for BAM is his proven track record in transformation programmes, improving organisations, their operational performance and margins. This runs like a thread through his achievements. We value his strong focus on clients and his down to earth leadership style which very well fits the construction industry. We realise Ruud is joining BAM in turbulent times. That’s why we are especially satisfied to be able to nominate such a well-rounded and experienced leader as the new CEO for our company.’
Frans den Houter, CFO/interim CEO of BAM: ‘I am pleased to welcome Ruud to BAM. His experience, particularly the variety of it, is something that will really add value. I look forward to working together with Ruud and the Executive Committee to develop a new strategy and successfully implement this in the coming years.’
Ruud Joosten added: ‘I am excited to join BAM, an iconic company with strong capabilities and a lot of potential. A company that really has an impact on the environment in which we live and is a frontrunner in sustainable solutions. Together with the Executive Committee and all the talented people of BAM, my focus will be to further drive the company towards a successful future.’
Ruud Joosten started with AkzoNobel in 1996 as a marketing director, joining from Petrofina (currently PPG) where he began his career in 1988. At AkzoNobel Joosten held management positions in sales and marketing and became managing director of Decorative Paints North and Eastern Europe in 2006. He played an important role in the integration of ICI after the takeover in 2007 and improved the organisation and profits of the Pulp and Performance Chemicals business from 2011 till 2013. In 2013 he joined the Executive Committee and became responsible for the Decorative Paints business unit. He expanded it into new growth markets, introduced a new operating model in Europe and increased focus on sales and marketing. After the sale of AkzoNobel’s chemical business in 2018, Joosten became the company’s COO, responsible for the Paints and Coatings business units. He played an important role in the extensive transformation programme, delivering an improved margin.
Joosten earned a degree in business economics at VU Amsterdam and an MBA from the University of Leuven.
Further information:
- Analysts: Michel Aupers, +31 (0)30 659 87 07, michel.aupers@bam.com;
- Press: Niels van Dongen, niels.van.dongen@bam.com, or Arno Pronk, arno.pronk@bam.com, +31 (0)30 659 86 23.
