Air Products Appoints Two Group Presidents in Senior Leadership Restructure

## Air Products Strengthens Executive Bench with Dual Group President Appointments Air Products (NYSE: APD) has announced the appointment of Kurt Lefevere and Francesco Maione as Group Presidents, with both roles taking effect on November 1, 2026, according to a company statement issued via PR Newswire. Both executives will continue to report directly to Eduardo Menezes, Air Products' Chief Executive Officer, indicating the appointments represent an expansion of senior leadership capacity rather than a wholesale restructuring of the reporting hierarchy. The move is notable for the maritime and energy sectors given Air Products' prominent role in the global hydrogen supply chain. The company is one of the world's largest producers of industrial hydrogen and has been a key player in the development of green and blue hydrogen infrastructure — commodities increasingly relevant to the maritime industry's decarbonisation agenda. As shipowners and operators accelerate efforts to comply with the International Maritime Organization's revised greenhouse gas strategy, demand for scalable hydrogen and ammonia supply chains has intensified. Air Products has positioned itself as a critical upstream partner in this transition, with major projects spanning the United States, the Middle East, and Europe. The appointment of two Group Presidents suggests Air Products is preparing its organisational structure to manage growing operational complexity across its global portfolio. Lefevere and Maione bring senior-level experience to roles that will likely oversee significant capital projects tied to the energy transition. Further details regarding the specific regional or functional remits assigned to each executive were not disclosed in the initial announcement. Industry observers will be watching closely to see how the leadership changes influence Air Products' engagement with maritime fuel supply initiatives, particularly its involvement in bunkering infrastructure for hydrogen-derivative fuels such as ammonia and methanol. *Source: PR Newswire / Air Products*