Novelis Inc. names Roberta Soares and Cary Chenanda as Regional Presidents for South and North America

The world's leading provider of sustainable aluminium solutions and a global leader in aluminium rolling and recycling, Novelis Inc., has announced significant executive leadership appointments to foster global growth and promote aluminium as the preferred material for circular solutions.

Roberta Soares and Cary Chenanda have been named Regional Presidents for South America and North America, respectively. Francisco Pires, the former President of South America, will now serve as Chief Transformation Officer. Meanwhile, Tadeu Nardocci, who previously served as interim president of North America, will transition to Executive Vice President of Manufacturing Operations, overseeing the company's major capital projects.

These strategic appointments underscore Novelis Inc.'s unwavering commitment to innovation and leadership in the aluminium industry. As it continues to drive sustainable practices and growth worldwide, the company remains dedicated to pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the industry.

Steve Fisher, President and CEO of Novelis, said, "Each of these individuals brings a wealth of experience in manufacturing leadership and a proven track record of success." 

"Their collective leadership will bolster Novelis' commitment to operational excellence, customer service, innovation, and sustainability. We look forward to their contributions as Novelis continues to set the course for the global aluminium industry."

Novelis South America

Roberta Soares has been named Senior Vice President and President of Novelis South America, effective June 1. As head of the region, Soares will lead all aspects of the company's business in South America, which had net sales of $2.46 billion in fiscal year 2024. The region has two plants and approximately 1,700 employees serving beverage packaging and speciality markets.

Soares was most recently Vice President of Operations at Novelis South America. Before that, she spent four years as Vice President of Finance and IT at Novelis South America. Soares joined the company in 2000 as a marketing intelligence and financial planning analyst in Brazil. Over the course of her tenure at Novelis, she has held roles in operations, finance, strategy, marketing, and recycling.

Novelis North America

Cary Chenanda has been appointed Executive Vice President and President of Novelis North America. As head of the region, Chenanda will lead all aspects of the company's business in North America, which had net sales of $6.72 billion in fiscal year 2024. The region has 15 plants and over 4,000 employees serving the beverage packaging, automotive, and speciality markets. 

Chenanda joined Novelis in April 2024 as President-designate of the North American region. Prior to Novelis, Chenanda spent 25 years at Cummins and most recently held the position of Vice President & General Manager of Cummins Emissions Solutions, a $4 billion business with 4,500 employees, 12 manufacturing plants, seven technical centres, and two joint ventures worldwide. During his tenure at Cummins, Chenanda held positions of increasing responsibility across engineering, marketing, purchasing, operations and general management.

Transformation office

Francisco Pires has been appointed Senior Vice President and Chief transformation officer. In this role, Pires will focus on driving action on Novelis' vision to advance aluminium as the material of choice for circular solutions.

Pires was most recently senior vice president and president of Novelis South America. Before that, he served as chief operating officer. Pires joined Novelis in 2012 as director of procurement in South America. He also held leadership positions in sales, procurement, and supply chain for Novelis South America during his tenure. 

Expansion

Tadeu Nardocci has been appointed Executive Vice President of Manufacturing Operations and will oversee several transformational investment projects already underway. These include the approximately $4.1 billion investment to build an integrated 600-kilotonne rolling and recycling plant in Bay Minette, Alabama, serving the beverage packaging and automotive markets.

A 45-year veteran of Novelis, Nardocci has deep expertise in capital expansion projects and has held multiple executive leadership positions throughout his tenure with the company, including interim President of Novelis North America, Chief Manufacturing Officer, President of Novelis South America, President of Novelis Europe, and Senior Vice President of innovation, technology, and strategy.