Arkema appoints Francois Desne Senior VP of High Performance Polymers and Fluorogases

Desné brings nearly 30 years of global industry experience

François Desné will join Arkema as Senior Vice President of High Performance Polymers and Fluorogases, effective 12 October 2026. In this role, he will also serve as a member of the Group’s Executive Committee, succeeding Laurent Tellier, who transitioned to Chief Operating Officer (COO) this past July.

Desné brings nearly 30 years of global industry experience, with a proven track record of transforming industrial businesses and accelerating growth. Throughout his career at leading materials and chemicals companies, he has excelled at strategically repositioning organizations toward highly sustainable business models.

Desné had been Chief Executive Officer of the Steel Wire Solutions (SWS) and Bekaert Bridon Ropes Group (BBRG) divisions and member of the Executive Committee of the Bekaert Group since 2022.

François Desné holds a Master’s degree in Physics from the Université of Paris-Cité (ex-Paris VII Denis Diderot), France, an MBA from the Wharton School, and a Master’s degree in International Business from the Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania. He began his career within Rhodia in China and then in France, holding positions in quality management and application development (silicones).

He subsequently joined BASF’s Coatings and Performance Chemicals divisions. Based in Germany and across the Asia-Pacific region (Japan, China, and Singapore), he held various positions in controlling, general management, and Senior Vice President roles across several businesses, including Coatings, Leather & Textile Chemicals, and Water, Oil Field & Mining Solutions.

Before joining the Bekaert Group, Desné served as Chief Executive Officer of the Engineered Foams business and was a member of the Executive Committee at Recticel.