Ilham Kadri

Dr. Ilham Kadri is the Chair of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). She is a globally respected business leader and sustainability champion, recognized for her ability to drive transformation at the intersection of industrial performance, societal progress, and environmental stewardship. With more than three decades of international experience, including over a decade as CEO of global industrial companies across four continents, she has consistently demonstrated how sustainable strategy is a powerful engine for long-term value creation.

Dr. Kadri served as Syensqo’s Chief Executive Officer, Chair of the Executive Leadership Team and a member of its Board of Directors since the company’s creation in December 2023 until January 2026 and continues to support the company as Senior Advisor. Previously, as CEO and Chair of the Executive Committee of Solvay (2019–2023), she led a landmark turnaround, delivering strong financial performance while launching the Solvay One Planet roadmap, which exceeded the ambitions of the Paris Agreement.

Dr. Kadri’s career spans senior leadership roles across industries and continents at companies including Diversey, Shell, UCB, Huntsman, Dow, and Sealed Air. Beyond WBCSD, she serves on the boards of L’Oréal and A. O. Smith, advises Temasek, and contributes to global business leadership as Vice-Chair of the European Round Table for Industry and a permanent member of the World Economic Forum’s International Business Council. She also served as President of Cefic and ICCA (2024-2025), during which time she moderated the Antwerp summits for an industrial deal.

She is deeply committed to philanthropy and has founded impactful non-profit initiatives, including the Solvay Solidarity Fund (now the Syensqo Fund) and the ISSA Hygieia Network, advancing community resilience and inclusive leadership.

A chemical engineer by training, Dr. Kadri holds a PhD from the University of Strasbourg and has received Doctor Honoris Causa distinctions from EWHA University and the Université de Namur. Her leadership has been widely recognized, including her selection among the Leaders50 and receipt of the Kavaler Award. In 2021, she was appointed Chevalier of the Légion d’Honneur for her contributions to global industry and sustainability.