Eric Alström’s main role in the coatings sector is to transform Hempel into a faster, more high-tech competitor by applying his decades of heavy industrial experience. Rather than focusing on basic paint chemistry, he is there to accelerate the development of sustainable, friction-reducing coatings that help the maritime and wind energy sectors cut their carbon emissions.
Global coatings manufacturer Hempel A/S has announced the appointment of Eric Alström as its new Group President and CEO, effective from 1st August 2026.
Alström succeeds Michael Hansen, who resigned and departed the company in June. He takes over the reins following a brief interim period led by Peter la Cour Gormsen, Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer, and Emilie Barriau, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer.
Alström brings over 30 years of international executive leadership experience across Europe, the US, Japan, and China, spanning the industrial technology, automotive, and manufacturing sectors. He holds a Master’s degree in Management from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and has built a strong track record of driving transformation and delivering profitable organic growth.
Most recently, Alström served as President of Danfoss Power Solutions, a €5 billion global leader in hydraulics and electrification, where he oversaw the company’s largest business segment. Significantly, the incoming chief executive is already intimately familiar with Hempel, having served as Vice Chair of the company's Board of Directors between 2017 and 2024.
“Eric is an experienced international business leader with a strong track record of driving growth, transformation, and innovation in global industrial businesses. He also knows Hempel well through his previous service on our Board, and we are very confident that he is the right person to lead Hempel through its extremely exciting next phase,” has commented Richard Sand, Chair of the Board of Directors.
"I am honoured to join Hempel as Group President & CEO. Hempel is a distinctive and successful global leader with a strong heritage, trusted and long-standing customer relationships, and clear ambitions for the future. I look forward to working with the Board of Directors and Hempel colleagues across the world to build on that strength, driving customer value through innovation, thus ensuring profitable growth at an even higher pace than in the past,” has added Eric Alström.