Eric Olsen

Former CEO of Holcim.

  • 1 / 5

    Eric Olsen is former CEO of LafargeHolcim, and was Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Board of the LafargeHolcim Foundation.

  • 2 / 5

    Eric Olsen, CEO of LafargeHolcim and Chairman of the Steering Committee of the LafargeHolcim Foundation, on "Day One" of the new company in Zurich: "Let us embrace this unique chance to make LafargeHolcim into a new leader for a new world."

  • 3 / 5

    Board of the LafargeHolcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction meeting at the 15th International Architecture Biennale in Venice curated by Alejandro Aravena (l-r): Enrique Norten, Marc Angélil, Maria Atkinson, Roland Köhler, Alejandro Aravena, Marilyne Andersen, Simon Upton, Rolf Soiron and Harry Gugger. Not pictured: Jens Diebold, Jan Jenisch, Stuart Smith, and Brinda Somaya. Simon Upton and Rolf Soiron stepped down in March 2018.

  • 4 / 5

    LafargeHolcim CEO Eric Olsen at the Full Year Results presentation of LafargeHolcim for 2016 in Zurich, Switzerland.

  • 5 / 5

    LafargeHolcim CEO Eric Olsen with Chief Financial Officer Ron Wirahadiraksa in background, at the Full Year Results presentation of LafargeHolcim for 2016 in Zurich, Switzerland.

Eric Olsen is former CEO of LafargeHolcim. He was a Member of the Board of the LafargeHolcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction.

Last updated: March 24, 2018 Paris, France

Eric Olsen was previously Holcim Executive Vice President, Operations responsible for a large number of countries such as France, USA, Brazil and Egypt. He joined the Lafarge Group in 1999 and was a member of its Executive Committee from 2007 until its merger with Holcim in July 2015 to form Holcim.

He joined Lafarge North America in 1999, as Senior Vice President for Strategy & Development, leading the integration of cement manufacturer Blue Circle’s North American operations and restructuring its assets. Since 2001, he served as both President, North-East Cement region and Senior Vice President, Purchasing. Since 2004, Eric Olsen served as Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice-President for Lafarge North America, a NYSE traded company.

From 2007 to 2012, he served as Executive Vice-President, Organization & Human Resources of Lafarge Group. In this role, he led the integration of the Egyptian Orascom, a major acquisition with operations in Africa, Middle East and Asia. Eric Olsen also led the 2012 reorganization of the Group with a focus on country organization around end-market segments.

Eric Olsen started his career in the field of mergers and acquisitions at Deloitte & Touche, Banque Paribas and was one of the managing partners of Trinity Associates for six years. He is a business graduate from the University of Colorado, Certified Public Accountant (Chicago, USA), and holds a Master of Business Administration from HEC international business school in Paris.

Eric Olsen was CEO of Holcim July 2015 until April 24, 2017, when the Board of Directors accepted his resignation, two years after taking up the CEO role and assuming responsibility for successfully implementing the merger of Lafarge and Holcim.

He was Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Board of the Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction from July 2015 until 2017.