Acwa Appoints Dr. Samir J. Serhan as New CEO
Energy and water firm Acwa has named Dr. Samir J. Serhan its new Chief Executive Officer, effective March 1. Dr. Serhan previously served as President of Saudi Arabia and the Middle East at the company and was formerly the COO of US-based Air Products. The outgoing CEO, Marco Arcelli, will remain as an advisor.
Dr. Samir J. Serhan brings over three decades of experience in leading large-scale industrial and infrastructure organizations globally. His career includes extensive leadership roles at Air Products, where he served as Chief Operating Officer with P&L responsibility for the Americas, Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and India. He also managed the company's technology, global engineering, manufacturing, and equipment functions. Before his time at Air Products, Dr. Serhan was the president of Global HyCO at Praxair and spent 14 years in management with The Linde Group in both the U.S. and Germany, culminating in his role as managing director of Linde Engineering. His appointment is part of a structured succession plan to ensure continuity and stability in Acwa Power's leadership. The leadership transition comes as Acwa Power aggressively expands its portfolio in renewable energy, water desalination, and green hydrogen, aligning with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030. The company aims to triple its assets under management to over $250 billion by 2030 and is expanding its presence in the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia. The outgoing CEO, Marco Arcelli, who assumed the role in March 2023, has a background of over 25 years in energy and infrastructure. His career includes senior leadership positions at Enel, where he was the CEO of Enel Trade and head of North American operations. During his tenure at Acwa Power, the company signed significant Power Purchase Agreements for new renewable capacity.
