Dominik von Achten

Dominik von Achten has led Heidelberg Materials (rebranded from HeidelbergCement in 2023) as Chairman of the Managing Board since 2020. The company is one of the world's top three building materials producers, operating approximately 3,000 production sites for cement, aggregates (crushed stone, sand, gravel), and ready-mixed concrete across all continents. Von Achten's most consequential initiative is the company's pioneering carbon capture and storage (CCS) project at its Brevik cement plant in Norway — the world's first full-scale CCS facility at a cement plant, with investment exceeding $1.4 billion. Cement production is responsible for approximately 8% of global CO2 emissions (the chemical process of converting limestone to clinker releases CO2 regardless of energy source), making decarbonization the industry's existential challenge. If Brevik succeeds, it could provide a template for decarbonizing the entire global cement industry. Heidelberg Materials also invests in low-carbon cements (including its EcoCem range with reduced clinker content), circular economy initiatives, and alternative fuels. Key stock drivers include global construction activity, cement pricing in key markets (Europe, North America, emerging markets), energy and fuel costs, CO2 allowance prices under the EU Emissions Trading System, the success of the Brevik CCS project, infrastructure spending programs, and the competitive dynamics against Holcim, Cemex, and CRH.