| CEO Fernando Gonzalez (left) and Chairman Rogelio Zambrano bring to their new posts a combined 50-plus years of Cemex board and executive team experience. |
The Cemex S.A.B. de C.V. board unanimously appointed Rogelio Zambrano chairman and Feranando Gonzalez chief executive officer days after the May 11 death of Lorenzo Zambrano, 70, who held the titles, respectively, since 1995 and 1985.
A University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business graduate, the new chairman has been a Cemex director since 1987 and Finance Committee president since 2009. “We will stay focused on creating value for all our stakeholders. Our new CEO and the whole of Cemex’s Executive Committee have the vision, skills, and experience to do exactly that, and I am very optimistic about [our] future,” he says, noting that the legacy of his predecessor and cousin, “will endure and his vision and passion for excellence will continue to inspire us in the years to come.”
“I firmly believe we have the best people in the industry, who can ensure our continuing success,” adds Gonzalez, who was previously executive vice president of Finance and Administration, following senior management positions in Human Capital, Strategic Planning and Business Development. “We have a solid business strategy, and most importantly, provide the best building solutions and value-added products. Furthermore, we are encouraged by the positive outlook and improving business environment in the markets where we operate.”
Lorenzo Zambrano 1944–2014
Cemex S.A.B. de C.V. Chairman and CEO Lorenzo H. Zambrano died last month while traveling in Madrid. During nearly three decades at the helm, he guided acquisitions transforming a Monterrey, Mexico, business with strong cement and concrete positions in a limited domestic market to a global player with annual sales eclipsing $15 billion—joining the league of European elites Heidelberg Cement, Holcim Ltd. and Lafarge Group.
Zambrano was the grandson of Cemex’s founder and held an MBA from Stanford University. The confidence he gained from New York and Mexico City investors was key to deals that solidified Cemex as a construction materials brand in the U.S. and many overseas markets—Southdown Inc. (2000), RMC Industries (2004) and Rinker Group (2007) among them.