Mark de Boer

Vice President Sustainability - Albemarle

Utrecht Area

About

Executive leader in the international Specialty Chemicals and Mining sector with 30+ years of experience spanning Lithium and Catalysis. Track record across business leadership, R&D, strategy, M&A, investor relations, technical sales, and external affairs, operating at both corporate and business-unit levels. Recognized for strong analytical, conceptual, and strategic capabilities, with deep expertise in the following areas: Sustainability & ESG: Double materiality, stakeholder engagement, sustainability reporting SDGs, ratings & rankings, TCFD, battery passport, GHG targets, Net Zero, carbon pricing, critical raw materials and responsible sourcing Mergers, Acquisitions & Strategy: 10+ years of hands-on M&A experience (divestitures, due diligence, deal execution), Corporate and business-unit strategy development, including portfolio shaping Industry & External Engagement: participation and leading in chemical industry consortia (ILiA, Cefic, European Metals), European investor relations Environmental & Data Analytics: Environmental data management, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Carbon and water footprinting Growth, Innovation & Transformation: New business development and industrial/academic partnerships. Business process design (innovation systems, stage-gates, portfolio management, alliances), Innovation leadership across applied R&D, breakthrough research, and ideation, organizational change and leadership development Technical & Commercial Excellence: Broad and deep expertise in Lithium and Catalysis, technical sales and product management in global markets

Experience

  • Albemarle Corporation (23 yrs 4 mos)
    • Vice President Sustainability
      Jan 2022 - Present · 4 yrs 6 mos

      Leading Sustainability at Albemarle (corporate) globally. This comprises strategy, target setting, sustainable operations, corporate and product level reporting, (environmental) data assurance, decarbonization roadmap, traceability, dialogue with our stakeholders. Participation / advocacy in various industry groups at international level: Recharge for Lithium batteries, Chairman Sustainable Lithium Subcommittee of ILiA (International Lithium Association), Cefic Sustainability Forum, European Metals and more. In this role I also participated or led further M&A activities, such as the divestiture of legacy assets in Germany (Troisdorf site to Diehl) and the sale of the majority stake of Ketjen to KPS (closing in Feb 2026).

    • Managing Director Albemarle Finance Company (AFC) - Managing Director Albemarle Netherlands
      Feb 2024 - Feb 2026 · 2 yrs 1 mo

      Statutory director of Albemarle's legal entities in The Netherlands

    • Director Sustainability
      Apr 2020 - Jan 2022 · 1 yr 10 mos

      Built the foundation of Sustainability at (corporate) Albemarle including first materiality assessment, professional environmental data collection and reporting, setting corporate targets for GHG-emissions, water consumption and DE&I. Introduced SDG's and UNGC, broadened stakeholder engagement and improved corporate policies, standards. Introduced Life Cycle Assessments and performed first LCA's on Lithium production. Training of Sales and procurement to speak confidently about Sustainability.

  • Cefic Sustainability Forum member at Cefic
    Sep 2023 - Present · 2 yrs 10 mos

    Cefic is the European Industry Association (Brussels) representing the Chemical Industry. The Sustainability Forum consists of ~ 30 elected members from industry and national associations. It creates direction and provides advice about sustainability matters to Cefic, its members and (indirectly) to European legislators.

  • Chairman - Sustainable Lithium Subcommittee of ILiA at International Lithium Association (ILiA)
    Apr 2023 - Present · 3 yrs 3 mos

    The ILiA Sustainable Lithium Subcommittee deals with sustainability subjects that benefit the Lithium industry and its stakeholders. We created the first Product Carbon Footprints (PCF) guidance for Lithium products in 2024 including a certification mechanism. We currently work on Product Water Scarcity Footprints for Lithium production.

  • European Metals - several working groups at European Metals
    Jun 2019 - Present · 7 yrs 1 mo

    European Metals (fka Eurometaux) is the association representing European (nonferrous) metals industry. I contribute to various working groups, including EU taxonomy and Sustainability

  • RECHARGE at Recharge
    May 2019 - Present · 7 yrs 2 mos

    RECHARGE is the leading voice of the advanced rechargeable and lithium batteries value chain in Europe. I participate in several working groups. Amongst other things, RECHARGE developed the first PEFCR for Lithium Batteries.