Clariant taps Marcelo Lu to lead Care Chemicals & Americas
Marcelo is set to oversee its largest business unit and drive growth and strategic priorities.
SWITZERLAND – Clariant has announced a leadership transition within its Business Unit Care Chemicals, set for 2026, with Marcelo Lu succeeding Christian Vang as President Designate for Care Chemicals & Americas and Member of the Executive Steering Committee.
The move follows Christian Vang’s upcoming retirement after 18 years with the company.
Marcelo Lu will join Clariant in January 2026, taking over the leadership of Care Chemicals, which is Clariant’s largest business unit with around 4,000 employees and sales of CHF 2.2 billion in 2024.
For the first six months, Lu will be based at Clariant’s global headquarters in Pratteln, Switzerland, where he will focus on Group-level priorities and collaborate with senior leaders across the organization.
During this transition period, Christian Vang will remain in an advisory capacity to ensure continuity and strategic focus.
Clariant CEO Conrad Keijzer praised Vang’s contributions, highlighting the successful integration of Lucas Meyer Cosmetics under his leadership, which strengthened Clariant’s position in high-value personal care and expanded its sustainable product portfolio.
Marcelo Lu brings extensive experience from his career at BASF, having held various commercial and general management roles in Germany, Hong Kong, Canada, the U.S., and Singapore.
His most recent positions include President of BASF Asia Pacific (excluding China) and Non-Executive Director at BASF India Ltd.
Christian Vang joined Clariant in 2008 as the regional Head of Asia Pacific and has held several key roles before becoming President for Care Chemicals & Americas in 2022.
Clariant Q3 FY25 financial higlight
Clariant has reported USD 1 billion (CHF 906 million) in sales for the third quarter of fiscal year 2025, despite experiencing a volume decline.
Sales in local currency fell by 3% compared to the same period last year, driven by a 4% drop in volumes, partly offset by a 1% price increase.
Currency effects, particularly from the US dollar, further impacted sales, leading to a 9% decrease when reported in Swiss francs.
Despite the volume and currency challenges, Clariant significantly improved its profitability, increasing the EBITDA margin before exceptional items by 230 basis points to 17.9%, up from 15.6% in Q3 of 2024.
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