Novelis Names Martens CEO

The board of directors of Novelis Inc., led by Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla, has named Philip Martens president and CEO. Martens joined the company as president and COO in May 2009.  

"Phil Martens is an exceptional leader. Within a short time he has grasped the Aditya Birla Group's philosophy of unrelenting value creation for its multiple stakeholders," says Birla, in a release. "He has driven the Novelis team from the front, energizing them and raising the bar of the organization in every way. Consequently, Novelis has successfully met the high performance standards that we had envisioned at the time of its acquisition and has earned Phil his elevation to CEO."

D. Bhattacharya, Novelis’ board vice chairman, adds, "Phil Martens is a transformational leader. He has aggressively led a slew of initiatives that has transformed this $10 billion multinational into a world-class industry leader and produced definitive business results. We are proud to have him in our top management team."

Since joining the organization, Martens has introduced a number of initiatives designed to create an integrated, global company driven by a singular focus. These moves included a reorganization of the global management team, new best-practices in global financial reporting, new workplace safety protocols, across-the-board product price adjustments, capital investments in Brazil, Europe and Asia, strategic cost-reductions and a host of new contracts in the industries of automotive, packaging and consumer electronics. In December 2010, Novelis announced a historic $4.8 billion debt restructuring and a $1.7 billion return of capital to its parent company.

"This announcement is recognition for the entire Novelis organization, people who have worked diligently to deliver value in recent times," says Martens. "I'm certain the best years of Novelis lie ahead, and it is an honor to lead this group of talented professionals."