Ilham Kadri is CEO and President of the Executive Committee of Solvay, a materials, chemicals and solutions company which through its purpose, values and science contributes to protecting the climate, preserving resources and fostering a better life.

Dr. Kadri is a world citizen with a rich professional experience across a variety of industries in four continents and with leading multinationals, including Shell, UCB, Huntsman, Dow Chemical and Sealed Air. Prior to joining Solvay, Dr. Kadri was CEO and President of Diversey in the United States.

Ilham Kadri is a purpose-driven leader with education and meritocracy, science and sustainability as the red threads in her personal life and career. Under her leadership, Solvay is working towards achieving its ambitious sustainability strategy, Solvay One Planet, which addresses biodiversity and social issues among others. Soon after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, she initiated the Solvay Solidarity Fund for employees and their families impacted by the pandemic. The Fund has since been extended to address a broader range of hardships, such as floods and the conflict in Ukraine.

Dr. Kadri actively promotes inclusion and diversity and is committed to mentoring young women and promoting women in STEM. She launched Solvay One Dignity to place human dignity back at the heart of Solvay’s culture and empower all minorities, including improving the numbers of women at the top.

She is an independent board member at A.O. Smith and L'Oréal. In addition, Ilham Kadri is the Chair of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), member of the steering committee of the European Round Table of Industrialists as well as a permanent member of the International Business Council.

Dr. Kadri holds a degree in chemical engineering from L'École des Hauts Polymères in Strasbourg and a PhD in macromolecular physico-chemistry from Strasbourg’s Louis Pasteur University. In July 2021, she received the Légion d’honneur, the highest French order of merit. She is also Doctor Honoris Clausa of the University of Namur (Belgium) and EWHA University (Korea).