North Carolina Lawyers Weekly
The Chemours Co., a global chemistry company with leading market positions in titanium technologies, thermal and specialized solutions, and advanced performance materials, announced that David Shelton, senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary, has announced his intention to retire from Chemours at the end of 2023, according to a Chemours news release.
As a part of his transition plan, effective Oct. 1, Shelton will focus exclusively on leading and managing the resolution of the company’s legacy liabilities and related remediation programs, and act as a legal advisor reporting directly to CEO Mark Newman. Concurrent with this change, effective Oct. 1, Kristine Wellman, currently vice president, strategic planning, will be promoted to the role of senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary, leading all non-legacy aspects of the legal function, in addition to government affairs, ethics and compliance, corporate remediation and security.
Shelton has over 30 years of legal experience. His contributions over the past sven years at Chemours have helped to position the company to achieve the transformative growth ambitions and strategic priorities outlined in CEO Mark Newman’s vision for the Chemours enterprise. Under Shelton’s leadership and management of legacy liabilities, the company has achieved significant legal milestones, including a historic memorandum of understanding (MOU) agreement with DuPont and Corteva. Beyond business performance, Mr. Shelton has been a key driver of the company’s commitment to unshakeable integrity.
“From the very beginning, Dave has demonstrated tremendous personal leadership and delivered significant results, including building a deep and diverse legal team,” Chemours President and CEO Mark Newman said in the release. “He has been a model of tenacity, courage, and integrity to the entire organization. Without question, Dave has made a positive impact on this company that will be felt for years to come.”
“Resolving legacy litigation is one of my strategic priorities for the company, and we are fortunate to have Dave singularly focused on those efforts before he retires from Chemours. We will benefit greatly
Wellman takes on her new executive role with 20-plus years of legal experience, exceptional performance, and deep knowledge of the Chemours business. As a part of the legal leadership team at spin-off, Wellman was integral to the successful stand-up of Chemours as an independent, public company, and she developed the organization’s corporate governance framework.
During her tenure with Chemours, Wellman enhanced her capabilities and business knowledge through assignments outside of the legal discipline. She served as plant manager at Chemours’ Chambers Works manufacturing site, where she led the operations team safely through the initial phase of the pandemic, maintaining full production with no interruptions.
She also contributed to the global organizational design of the new Advanced Performance Materials business unit and went on to become the leader of its sustainability strategy, positioning Chemours as a leader in responsible chemistry. This led to her current role, leading a team charged with strategic analysis and planning related to a dynamic regulatory environment.
“Kristine has already made significant contributions to Chemours, and I could not be more pleased to bring her diverse experiences to the executive team,” Newman said. “I also have every confidence that she brings the level of talent and energy needed to continue developing a fit-for-purpose legal function that can accelerate our Chemours 2.0 transformation.”
“These changes to our leadership team allow us to execute an orderly succession while placing significant focus on resolving our legacy liabilities. I know that both Dave and Kristine will work tirelessly and fearlessly to position Chemours for continued success in this pivotal moment for the company and beyond.”
Chemours’ Fayetteville Works manufacturing site is located on a 2,150-acre site in southeast North Carolina, near the Bladen and Cumberland county line, of which approximately 400 acres is developed, according to Chemours’ website. Two other chemical manufacturing operations are located on the site, and together, we employ more than 550 people from the surrounding community.
