Cementos Molins has appointed Marcos Cela as the new CEO. He succeeds Julio Rodríguez, who has held the job for the last nine years. The change comes after Rodríguez’s request to resign from his duties as the company's chief executive officer, and will be effective as of end of June, following the Shareholders Annual General Meeting, when Cela’s appointment is to be officially confirmed.
The change in the company’s leadership is the result of a carefully planned process that took place during the past year and a half, as Julio Rodríguez informed the company’s board of his intention to step down from his role. Since then, Cementos Molins’ board carried out a thorough internal and external evaluation process which has concluded with the appointment of Marcos Cela valuing his professional experience, company and markets know-how, leadership skills and personal attributes. The appointment of Marcos Cela has been unanimous among all board members with Julio Rodríguez’s full support.
Marcos Cela holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Barcelona, an MBA from ESADE Business School, and a PADE from IESE Business School. He started out his career in 1995 in the finances division of Decathlon Spain. Four years later, he assumed the role of Credit and Treasury Director at BIC Graphic Europe, before joining Cementos Molins in 2004 as Chief Financial Officer, a position he held until January 2015. Since then, Cela has been a member of the executive committee, serving as Executive VP for Asia, Africa, and South America regions.
On the other hand, Julio Rodríguez was appointed CEO in April 2015, succeeding Juan Molins, who currently serves as Cementos Molins’ president of the board. Throughout Rodríguez's 9-year tenure, Cementos Molins has doubled its sales to € 1.349 billion last year and has tripled its net profit to €151 million.
Marcos Cela stated: "My appointment as CEO of Cementos Molins represents a personal and professional challenge and, after 20 years at Cementos Molins, I am thrilled to take on this responsibility and feel well prepared for it. I want to thank the board of directors for their trust and I’m proud to succeed a leader like Julio, with a solid track record, who has led Cementos Molins strategic transformation and with whom I have had the opportunity to work closely on the development of multiple strategic initiatives."
According to Julio Rodríguez, "Marcos’ extensive knowledge of the company and track record at Cementos Molins makes him the ideal person to step up as CEO”. He expressed that “since 2015, I've had the privilege of leading Cementos Molins through a strategic transformation, contributing to its nearly 100-year history. The company has evolved significantly over this 9-year journey, embracing a new purpose, expanding its reach, introducing new ventures, and fostering a culture and leadership model prioritizing people and sustainability. I extend my heartfelt appreciation to all those I had the privilege to engage with and learn from—board members, shareholders, employees, customers, suppliers, and community members. Thank you all sincerely."
Over the coming months, Rodríguez and Cela will collaborate on the transition process, which is to be finalized on end of June 2024 after formal validation at the Shareholders Annual General Meeting.
The board of directors of Cementos Molins expresses its deep gratitude to Julio Rodríguez for all these years of intense work, commitment, personal leadership and excellent results and wishes Marcos Cela the greatest success in this new stage in the life of the company.
