IN THE OFFICE WITH
Thierry Le Hénaff, a Bigger Picture
KEEP TRANSFORMING TO BETTER PREPARE THE FUTURE
We have many assets we can leverage to keep building the Arkema of the future, including a balanced, high-quality portfolio of activities; strong positions in specialty business lines that offer a number of sustainable growth opportunities; global, competitive
product lines in intermediate chemicals; technological innovations; and a commitment to society.
How would you sum up 2018 at Arkema?
Thierry Le Hénaff : – In 2018, Arkema continued to grow despite the more volatile global economy. We posted close to €9 billion in revenue, driven by strong organic growth of 8%. EBITDA rose
6% to €1,474 million, surpassing the records set in 2017. Cash generation remained strong, with a free cash flow of around €500 million even though we accelerated our investment in organic growth and the feedstock situation deteriorated. Lastly, our
environmental and safety performance improved again last year. These remarkable results show that Arkema is robust. We can adapt in a mixed macroeconomic environment, complicated by volatile feedstock and currency prices and the uncertainties created
by world geopolitical tensions. They confirm the quality of our business portfolio, which combines excellent positions in specialty chemicals — 70% of our revenue and good long-term growth prospects — with competitive, globally positioned intermediate
product lines that posted a record year. They also reflect our teams’ unflagging commitment to customers, our balanced regional footprint and our vibrant technological innovation, which is a powerful growth driver.
Today, no one can ignore major environmental and social challenges. What is Arkema’s strategy in that regard?
Thierry Le Hénaff : – We’ve all witnessed the profound social and technological changes that have rocked the world in the last few years.
