Aurora Material Solutions has appointed Renee Havrilla as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Havrilla succeeds Darrell Hughes in a planned leadership succession. She will set Aurora’s strategic direction, oversee capital allocation and finance, manage the top leadership team, and act as the primary liaison to the Board of Directors.
Aurora Material Solutions
Aurora Material Solutions appoints Renee Havrilla as its Chief Executive Officer
“Renee brings more than 30 years of results-driven leadership experience in speciality chemicals, with deep expertise in both flexible and rigid vinyl compounds, M&A integration, and global P&L management,” said Hughes, now an Aurora Board Member. “With strong strategic and execution discipline, Renee is committed to leading Aurora for the long term. We are confident she is the right leader to take us forward.”
Havrilla joined Aurora in June 2025 as President of the company’s Flexible Compounds Business segment. During that time, she was responsible for developing the segment’s value creation plan and managing P&L for flexible compound products. Additionally, she managed business development, technology, financial controls, and plant management for the segment.
Havrilla succeeds Hughes, who has led Aurora for almost 10 years. During that time, the company has grown from a two-site operation with less than 100 employees into a ten-site, scaled organisation. The Aurora Board has said it is grateful for Hughes’ vision, high standards, and care for people, which have resulted in a positive corporate culture.
About Renee Havrilla
Havrilla brings a wealth of experience to her new role, having previously:
- Served as Vice President of Monument Chemical’s solvents business.
- Spent 11 years at Westlake Chemical Corporation, seven of which were as Vice President of global PVC compounds.
- Worked as General Manager of the polyurethane spray foam business for Bayer Material Science (now Covestro).