Crew change at Sabic

Charlie Crew, recently appointed president and CEO of Saudi Arabian Basic Industries Corporation.

One of the biggest jobs in the Middle East's tightening grip on the world's plastics industry has had a change of owner.

Charlie Crew has stepped up to replace the outward-bound Brian Gladden in the president and CEO's combined seat at Sabic Innovative Plastics.

Previously known as GE Plastics, until Sabic put US $11.6 billion on the table last year, Sabic Innovative Plastics may have a new leader, but he is an old hand.

The appointment is another internal promotion for a man who first joined the company in 1977, as an account manager, and was most recently vice president and general manager of Sabic Innovative Plastics' global ventures business.

Other various roles have included leading European operations as president and senior managing director of GE Plastics Europe & MENA, and acting as vice president and general manager commercial operations for GE Plastics Americas.

This collection of hard-won experience is what probably led Mohamed Al-Mady, the Sabic vice chairman and CEO and chairman of Sabic Innovative Plastics supervisory board, to describe Crew as 'well-known throughout the industry'.

Al-Mady also described him as 'a proven, influential leader', 'highly respected' and a 'seasoned executive'.

It would be difficult to say anything else about a man just promoted to the top job after thirty years in the business, effectively with one company.

It's clear then that continuity counts. When Sabic paid it's money it was getting human assets, as well as plant, and it is continuing to put them to use.

For now at least it looks like business as usual for Sabic Innovative Plastics. While there may have been 'Crew change', appointing a company man to the leadership role isn't likely to lead to 'all change'.

Stuart Matthews is the Senior Group Editor for ITP Business.

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