– USA, MN – Ecolab Inc. (NYSE: ECL) today announced that Christophe Beck, current president, and COO, will succeed Douglas Baker, Jr. as CEO effective January 1, 2021. Beck also has been elected to Ecolab’s board of directors.
Baker, currently chairman and CEO, will retire as CEO but continue as board chairman.
Douglas Baker commented, “I am thrilled the board of directors has named Christophe as my successor and believe he is a perfect choice. He has been a great leader and a great partner in advancing and building Ecolab’s strategy and business. Since joining Ecolab in 2007, he has excelled in a succession of increasing and varied responsibilities across our company, helping us strengthen our business, build our teams, enhance our capabilities and shape a stronger future. He is a great business leader, and even more importantly, a good person. His passion, commitment, vision, and innovative spirit will serve our people, our customers, and our shareholders well.”
Jeffery Ettinger, lead director of Ecolab’s board, commented on the transition, saying, “This announcement follows a well-planned and thoughtful succession process. Christophe Beck is a proven leader and seasoned business executive, and we are excited about his ability to continue to build Ecolab’s global business and market leadership. He has delivered outstanding performance throughout his career and has been a key player since he joined Ecolab 13 years ago, helping strengthen the company and position it for new and developing growth opportunities. The board looks forward to working with Christophe in his new capacity.
“At the same time, we want to extend our profound thanks to Doug for his exceptional performance as CEO over the last 16 years. It has been a period of great change and strategic development for Ecolab. During Doug’s tenure, we have strengthened our global leadership in the company’s traditional cleaning and sanitizing businesses, significantly broadened our markets through the addition of water sustainability and healthcare/life sciences businesses, and continuously improved all aspects of the company’s operations. Under his leadership, Ecolab has become a true sustainability leader and a purpose-driven company, recognized for its positive impact on the world and its ethical practices. All of this helped drive exceptional returns for our shareholders, increasing Ecolab’s market capitalization by more than eight times and generating a $50 billion increase in the company’s value. We congratulate him on his outstanding performance and thank him for continuing to serve as board chairman.”
Beck joined Ecolab in 2007. He currently serves as Ecolab’s president and COO. He previously served as executive vice president and president of Ecolab’s Nalco Water business. Before that, Beck was the company’s executive vice president and president, International Regions. Before his International Regions role, Beck was executive vice president and president of global integration, overseeing the integration of the Nalco acquisition. Beck’s earlier roles at Ecolab included executive vice president, Institutional Sector; senior vice president and general manager, Institutional Foodservice – North America; and senior vice president, Corporate Marketing and Strategy. Before joining Ecolab in 2007, Beck was an executive at Nestlé for 16 years.
Beck commented, saying, “I am honored to be given this opportunity, and thank the board for their confidence in me. I also want to thank Doug for his consistent support and guidance during my career at Ecolab, and for the opportunities that helped prepare me for this role. We hold the same vision for Ecolab and share the same commitment to our people, our customers, our communities, and our shareholders.
“I am fortunate to inherit an outstanding world-class company with a strong and winning value proposition, excellent market positions, advanced technology, and – most of all – the unequaled Ecolab team who make it all work, delivering outstanding results and value for our customers as well as drive our growth and returns for shareholders. I look forward to working with the Ecolab team as we continue to drive the long-term success of this great company and its people. Ecolab has never been better positioned to sustainably meet our customers’ water, hygiene, and infection prevention needs around the world. I am so proud of the positive impact we have on the world and believe our future is boundless.”
About Ecolab
A trusted partner at nearly three million commercial customer locations, Ecolab is the global leader in water, hygiene, and infection prevention solutions and services. With annual sales of $13 billion and more than 45,000 associates, Ecolab delivers comprehensive solutions, data-driven insights, and personalized service to advance food safety, maintain clean and safe environments, optimize water and energy use, and improve operational efficiencies and sustainability for customers in the food, healthcare, hospitality and industrial markets in more than 170 countries around the world.
For more information: https://www.ecolab.com/
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