The largest polyurethane system house across the Middle East and Africa, Pearl Polyurethane Systems, has appointed three industry experts to positions of non-executive director.
Oliver Bruns, Michael Friede and Wilhelm Lamberts will be joining Pearl Polyurethane at board level as the newly independent Dubai-headquartered company embarks on an ambitious five-year growth plan.
Oliver Bruns brings over ten years of polyurethane industry experience in Germany with Bayer AG and Bayer MaterialScience – now known as Covestro. He also currently holds a full-time CEO-position at NEVEON, a global integrated foam group.
Michael Friede started his career at Bayer AG in 2001, where he held various senior executive roles at Bayer MaterialScience and then Covestro. This year, he was appointed chief commercial officer – performance coatings and member of the executive board at AkzoNobel, an Amsterdam-based multinational company creating paints and performance coating products.
Wilhelm Lamberts, a qualified chemist, started his career in 1986 as development chemist with Bayer AG responsible for the development of PUR rigid foam systems and during the course of his career at both Bayer and Covestro held numerous senior executive positions, including managing director of BaySystems Büfa, a German polyurethane system house, and president of Baulé Group, a globally active elastomer business. An experienced business leader and strategy developer, in 2018, Lamberts took up the role of chairman of the advisory board at Robert Kramer Gmbh & Co KG, a leading German chemical company. Since 2009, Lamberts has also been member of the advisory board to BÜFA Gmbh & Co KG.
Commenting on the appointments, Martin Kruczinna, CEO of Pearl Polyurethane Systems, said, “We remain focused on talent acquisition and development moving forward. The appointment of Oliver, Michael and Wilhelm is big part of this strategy as we embark on further expansion beyond the Middle East and North Africa to increase our international footprint while adding new products and markets as part of our five-year growth plan.
In February 2021, Pearl Overseas Industries Ltd signed an agreement to acquire the remaining 51 per cent shareholding in Pearl Covestro Polyurethane Systems LLC from former joint-venture partner, Covestro AG. The deal closed on July 26 and the newly independent company, rebranded as Pearl Polyurethane Systems LLC, has confirmed a long-term supply and technical service agreement with Covestro in Germany ensuring consistency of supply to existing and new clients.