Ed Breen to lead DuPont once again

DuPont’s board of directors has appointed current Executive Chairman Edward Breen to the additional role of CEO. Lori D. Koch, vice president of investor relations and corporate financial planning and analysis, has been named CFO. Both appointments are effective immediately.

The board of directors has made these leadership changes to “accelerate operational performance improvement.” As a result, Marc Doyle and Jeanmarie Desmond, who have served as CEO and CFO, respectively, will depart the company.

Breen has served as the executive chairman of DuPont since June 2019 and previously served as CEO of DowDuPont since 2017. Before the merger of DuPont and The Dow Chemical Co., Breen served as chairman and CEO of DuPont since 2015.

Koch has been with DuPont for 17 years and during that time has held finance leadership roles with increasing responsibility spanning business units, the science and technology organization, and corporate functions.

“Since he first assumed the chairman and CEO role of DuPont in 2015, Ed Breen led the company through an extensive transformation to further unlock the potential of its distinctive capabilities, innovative portfolio, and deep customer relationships,” said Alexander Cutler, DuPont’s lead independent director. “After careful consideration, the board concluded now is the right time to make these leadership changes, including restoring Ed to the chief executive role to draw more directly on his substantial operating experience.”

Press release