AkzoNobel, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, has appointed Maëlys Castella its new CFO. She will officially take up the position on September 15.  Castella succeeds Keith Nichols, who announced his intention to leave AkzoNobel this past January. Castella has worked at Air Liquide for the past 14 years, most recently as Group Deputy CFO. Her previous posts there include Europe CFO and corporate finance and treasury director. 

Commenting on the appointment, AkzoNobel CEO Ton Büchner said that "we're delighted to have appointed Maëlys as the company's CFO. She brings a wealth of experience in finance and will add fresh impetus to our ongoing commitment to improve operational excellence and drive value creation." 

Castella said that "I am looking forward to working for AkzoNobel with great enthusiasm. It is a company I much admire, where I believe I can make a major contribution to the management team in their focus on operational excellence." 

A French national, Castella joined Air Liquide as group financing manager in 2000. She previously worked for ELF Oil & Gas Group, where her positions included financing and capital markets manager. 

She will be nominated for appointment to AkzoNobel's Board of Management and will be based at the company’s head office in Amsterdam. Ton Büchner will take over CFO responsibilities in the brief transition period between Nichols' departure and Castella's commencement date.