Philippe Richart as CEO of WCA

The World Cement Association (WCA) has announced the appointment of Philippe Richart as its new CEO. As the global cement industry enters a period of profound change, Mr. Richart will lead the association to continue to enhance its global influence.

Philippe Richart has more than 30 years of experience as an international cement industry leader, with a career spanning Asia, Africa and Europe. He began his career as a construction engineer in the cement industry in the mid-1990s, holding a number of senior management positions at Lafarge and Holcim, where he was responsible for project development, operations management, market entry and regional management. He has extensive experience in both high-growth and high-volatility markets, and has solid practical knowledge and deep insight into the operation of cement enterprises in different economic, regulatory and competitive environments.

During his career, Philippe Richart has led companies through expansion and transformation, managed cement and concrete businesses at the national and regional levels, overseen a number of acquisitions and joint ventures, and worked closely with governments, financial institutions and local partners. His leadership philosophy is based on operational discipline, performance improvement and long-term value creation, with a high emphasis on safety, talent and sustainable development. "The cement industry is changing rapidly, dealing with major challenges such as emissions reductions, global overcapacity and rising energy costs," said

Philippe Richart. In this context, WCA is an important platform to promote best practices, promote cooperation, promote members to share expertise and the latest technology, and represent and promote the common interests of the global cement industry.

He will enhance member engagement to ensure that the Association continues to reflect the diversity of the global cement industry. He emphasized that sustainable development and decarbonization, innovation, digitalization and the application of the latest technology will be the core direction of the future development of the cement industry.