Ecocem expands its board as part of ambitious growth plan

Low-carbon cement firm Ecocem adds five board members as European Commission decides to include its innovative products in the EU norm by 2027

Ecocem new board appointees: Frédéric Guimbal, Prof Sylvie Retailleau and Brett Desmond.

Low-carbon cement firm Ecocem has added five new members to its board as it gears up for significant growth.

The new board members include non-executive directors Prof Sylvie Retailleau, Frédéric Guimbal and Brett Desmond, along with two appointees to Ecocem’s executive leadership team, Eoin Condren, executive director of corporate development, and Olivier Guise, executive director of strategy, technology and business development.

Donal O’Riain, founder and group MD of Ecocem, said: “This strengthening of our board comes as we advance the deployment of breakthrough low-carbon technologies such as ACT. This momentum is reinforced by the European Commission’s decision to include our ACT cement in the EU norm by 2027, the recent inauguration of our €11m Research and Innovation Centre in France, as well as our €50m investment in our Dunkirk facility — the first stage of a €220m programme to significantly expand our low-carbon capacity by 2030.” 

Prof Sylvie Retailleau is a professor of Physics and Electronics at Université Paris-Saclay and served as France’s Minister for Higher Education and Research, 2022-24.

Frédéric Guimbal, a civil engineer and graduate of the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées, brings over two decades in the construction industry.

Brett Desmond is an investment professional with over 25 years’ experience, including with Morgan Stanley; he is is also a non-executive director of Mountain Province Diamonds Inc., Quinta do Lago Resort, and Camiral Golf and Wellness.

Eoin Condren has been with Ecocem since 2021. He brings 15 years’ of financial experience across Europe and the US, spanning real estate, clean infrastructure, and technology.

Olivier Guise brings over two decades of experience in the cement and construction materials sector; he also held senior roles at Holcim Group in France and Algeria.