Polet appointed new CEO of biodiesel maker FutureFuel

Biodiesel and chemical producer FutureFuel Corp. announced Aug. 20 that it has appointed Roeland Polet as CEO of the company effective Sept. 3.

Polet succeeds Tom McKinlay, who previously announced his retirement as CEO.

Polet (Photo: LinkedIn)

Polet brings over 35 years of leadership experience and a track record of value creation and team building within global leading specialty-chemicals companies.

From 2015 to 2023, he held general-management roles for Koninklijke DSM N.V., culminating in CEO of DSM Materials.

While there, Polet contributed to significant gains in market share and profitability through organic strategy, M&A initiatives, and operational and commercial excellence, according to FutureFuel.

Prior to that, Polet worked in senior-leadership roles for Valspar Corp., Celanese Corp. and Carbolite Foods Inc. in the U.S., Asia and Europe.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from State University of New York at Buffalo.

He will continue to serve as nonexecutive director at Envalior, a joint venture between Lanxess and Advent International.

In his new role as CEO of FutureFuel, Polet will focus on leveraging the company’s legacy of market-leading innovation to expand its market presence, commercialize new products and technologies, and drive performance.

“We are thrilled to announce the appointment of Roeland as our chief executive officer,” said Don Bedell, vice chairman of FutureFuel’s board of directors.

“Roeland’s deep industry experience and his proven record of strategy, innovation and team building make him the right person to lead FutureFuel,” Bedell said.

Polet added, “I am excited for the opportunity to lead FutureFuel and work with a strong, committed team that is fully dedicated to its success. I look forward to delivering for our customers, shareholders, employees and the communities we touch.”

FutureFuel opened its biofuels-business segment in 2005.

The company has a multifeedstock biodiesel production facility in Batesville, Arkansas, with a demonstrated capacity of 59 million gallons per year.