Yara appoints new Managing Director for UK and Ireland
Benoit Lamaison becomes the Managing Director of Yara UK Limited responsible for the Company’s activities in the UK and The Republic of Ireland from 1st July 2011. Benoit replaces Tove Andersen who has been appointed Vice President and Head of Marketing, a global role based at Yara International ASA’s headquarters in Oslo.
Benoit has been with the Company for ten years in a series of commercial sales and marketing roles. Prior to taking up this new appointment in the UK, he has for the last four years been Commercial Director for Yara France where he was responsible for the business, strategy and marketing for the French fertilizer operation.
Benoit, who is 38, has a Master’s degree M-Phil specialising in production, transformation and commercialism of all aspects of agriculture from The Esitpa, School of Agricultural Engineering in Normandy, France. Benoit is fluent in English having spent two years living and working in South West Scotland from 1998 – 2000.
In response to the announcement, Benoit says, "I am, of course, delighted to get this position and am fortunate in taking over a very good team in Yara UK from Tove Andersen who has done an excellent job during the last five years. These are challenging times for farming and the fertilizer market, with pricing subject to the volatility of global supply and demand. I hope my experience in the French market and understanding of the European farming industry will be beneficial to business in the UK."
Benoit and his family will be moving to the UK and he will be based at the Company’s head office in Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire. He and his wife Claire, have two young children, a son Jules and a daughter Valentine. Benoit’s hobbies include squash, jogging and handball, which he played for three years at national level. He also enjoys watching rugby.
In endorsing these new appointments, Jørgen Ole Haslestad the CEO of Yara International has said that he believes that the mobility of people is an important premise for success.
