De Weert succeeds Miguel Escobar, who is leaving the company effective August 1, to pursue an opportunity in his native Colombia.
De Weert will lead the company's business in the United States and Canada, which includes 19 production facilities and nearly 5,200 employees. North American business segment sales in 2011 were more than $1.9 billion, a little more than one-quarter of O-I's global sales. De Weert intends to focus on improving productivity and driving down costs, while building strong customer relationships and developing new markets.
"Arnaud brings a strong international background and a history of accomplishments for the firms in which he has worked," said Al Stroucken, O-I chairman and CEO. "His demonstrated experience in leading major manufacturing companies through change will be of great value as we continue our journey towards exceptional performance in North America."
De Weert joins O-I from Constellium, formerly known as Alcan Engineered Products, in Paris, where he served as chief operating officer and led multiple business units - global aerospace, transportation and industry; specialty sheet; extrusions and automotive structures. Prior to that role, he served three years as president of Europe for Novelis, Inc., in Zurich, Switzerland. He is credited with turning around several underperforming business units at Novelis. He also held various leadership, sales, marketing and finance roles at Ontex International, Europe's largest manufacturer of private label hygienic disposables, and GE Power Controls in several European countries.
A native of the Netherlands, de Weert holds a management degree from Erasmus University in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, where he also participated in a doctorate program in business economics. He speaks Dutch, Swedish, English, German, Spanish and French.
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About O-I
Owens-Illinois, Inc. (NYSE: OI) is the world's largest glass container manufacturer and preferred partner for many of the world's leading food and beverage brands. With revenues of $7.4 billion in 2011, the company is headquartered in Perrysburg, Ohio, USA, and employs more than 24,000 people at 81 plants in 21 countries. O-I delivers safe, effective and sustainable glass packaging solutions to a growing global marketplace. For more information, visit http://www.o-i.com/.