Honchos Depart Atofina in U.S.

As Atofina Chemicals gets ready to combine 13 business units that it plans to divest, word has leaked out that three top U.S.-based executives will be leaving. They are Jean-Pierre Seeuws, CEO of both Philadelphia-based Atofina Chemicals and Houston-based Atofina Petrochemicals; Jean-Claude Rébeillé, chemicals executive vice president; and Otto Takken, chemicals chief financial officer. George Cornelius, general counsel, will take on the role of CEO for the U.S. operations. A U.S. spokesman for French oil giant Total, parent to Atofina, confirmed the executive changes but declined to provide further details.