Elementis CFO Ralph Hewins to retire after nine years

(Sharecast News) - Specialty chemicals company Elementis said on Tuesday that chief financial officer Ralph Hewins will be retiring after nine years in the role and will step down from his position at the end of the year. Kath Kearney-Croft will assume the role of CFO designate on 3 November before becoming CFO and member of the board as of 1 January 2026.

Elementis said Hewins will remain with the group through to 31 March 2026 to facilitate an orderly transition.

Kearney-Croft joins the company from Learning Technologies Group, a global provider of learning and talent technologies and services, following the takeover of the business by General Atlantic earlier this year.

She has been CFO there since 2021, and prior to this has over 20 years of experience in a range of CFO and senior finance roles in the UK and US with SIG, The Vitec Group, Rexam, and BOC Group.

Kearney-Croft is a Chartered Management Accountant with a degree in business and management studies, and an MBA from the Manchester Business School.

Chief executive Luc van Ravenstein said: "On behalf of the board and my Elementis colleagues, I would like to thank Ralph for his outstanding contribution over the last nine years. Elementis today is a focused business with a strong financial foundation, with great opportunities ahead. Ralph will leave the company with our very best wishes and thanks for his diligence, insights and support.

"I am delighted that following a thorough selection process we have been able to secure Kath Kearney-Croft as our new CFO. Kath has a strong track record of leading finance functions at international public companies, and her wealth of experience across diversified industries will be highly valuable. I am looking forward to working with Kath to deliver our performance objectives."