Kent Masters was named Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Albemarle Corporation in April 2020. He joined the Albemarle board of directors in 2015 and served as Lead Independent Director from 2018 until April 2020.
Masters brings significant global business experience and a strong knowledge of Albemarle’s strategy, values, and history. He joined the company’s board of directors as part of the Rockwood Holdings Inc. acquisition, where he had previously served on the Rockwood board of directors since 2007.
Prior to joining Albemarle, Masters served as Operating Partner of Advent International, an international private equity group. Prior to Advent, he served as Chief Executive Officer of Foster Wheeler AG, a global engineering and construction contractor and power equipment supplier, when Foster Wheeler AG was acquired by Amec plc to form Amec Foster Wheeler plc. He is also a former member of the executive board of Linde AG, a global leader in manufacturing and sales of industrial gases, with responsibility for the Americas, Africa, and the South Pacific.
Masters earned a Master of Business Administration from New York University and a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.