Damián Gumpel
ChemoursAbout Damián Gumpel
Damián Gumpel is President of Chemours’ Titanium Technologies (TT) business, appointed effective March 3, 2025; he is age 50 and previously held senior roles at Olin, Dow, and Accenture . His initial Form 3 indicated no beneficial ownership at appointment and officer title “President, Titanium Technologies” . Under his early tenure as TT President, segment context shows Q3 2025 TT net sales of $612 million, Adjusted EBITDA of $25 million, and 4% margin amid price declines and disruption costs, with a communicated global TiO2 price increase effective December 1, 2025 setting up potential margin support . Chemours’ refreshed “Pathway to Thrive” strategy emphasizes Operational Excellence, Enabling Growth, Portfolio Management, and Strengthening the Long Term across segments .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chemours | President, Titanium Technologies | 2025–present | Leading TT; announced strategic alliance with Energy Fuels to strengthen U.S. critical minerals and titanium supply chains . |
| Olin Corporation | VP, Corporate Strategy; President, Epoxy; President, Chlor Alkali Products & Vinyls | 2015–2025 | Delivered cost reductions, portfolio realignment, and business transformation leading to record EBITDA improvement . |
| Dow Inc. | Commercial leadership roles (chlor-alkali and vinyls) | 2009–2015 | Business leadership in core chemicals end-markets . |
| Accenture | Consulting roles | 1998–2007 | Strategy and transformation background . |
Fixed Compensation
Not disclosed in public filings for Gumpel as of his March 2025 appointment (press release and 10-K provide role and background but no pay terms) .
Performance Compensation
2024 Annual Incentive Plan (AIP) design and outcomes (program context)
| Component | Metric | Weight | Target | Actual Achievement (FY 2024) | Payout/Notes | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate | Adjusted EBITDA | 50% | Not disclosed | Corporate AIP achievement 84.3% | Max bonus opportunity 200% | Paid annually in cash . |
| Corporate | Discretionary Free Cash Flow | Part of 20% | Not disclosed | Included in Corporate AIP achievement | Weight combined with ANWC Days | Paid annually in cash . |
| Corporate | Average Net Working Capital Days | Part of 20% | Not disclosed | Included in Corporate AIP achievement | Measured across 12 months | Paid annually in cash . |
| Executive focus (TT) | Cost of Manufacturing (TT) | 20% | Not disclosed | TT segment AIP outcome 59.6% of targeted metrics | Segment-specific achievement varies | Paid annually in cash . |
| Sustainability | Great Place to Work score; energy efficiency | Included | Not disclosed | Included in plan | Continued inclusion in 2024 | Paid annually in cash . |
Note: Gumpel’s appointment occurred in 2025; 2024 outcomes provide design baseline for ongoing alignment .
2024–2026 LTIP structure
| Vehicle | Weight within LTIP grant | Metric | Vesting | Key terms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSUs | 25% (equal weighting across vehicles) | 70% Economic Value Added (EVA); 30% Relative TSR | Earned at end of 3-year performance period | Performance-weighted structure; awards determined at period end . |
| PSOs | 25% | Market condition (strike 10% above grant-date close) | Vest over 3 years; 10-year expiration | Monte Carlo valuation; exercisable when vested and market condition satisfied . |
| NQSOs | 25% | Stock price | Vest annually in 3 equal installments | Option-based value creation; standard plan terms . |
| RSUs | 25% | Time-based | Vest annually in 3 equal installments | Retention-oriented equity; each RSU equals one share . |
PSU results for prior cycles (context)
| PSU Cycle | Metrics | Weight | Outcome | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022–2024 | Adjusted Net Income; Free Cash Flow Conversion | 50% / 50% | Both metrics did not achieve threshold; rTSR modifier had no impact | 0% earned (no shares) . |
| 2019–2021 | Adjusted Net Income; Free Cash Flow Conversion; rTSR modifier | 50% / 50%; rTSR modifier | Weighted outcome 100%; rTSR below 25th percentile | Reduced by 50% (payout 50%) . |
Company-wide 2025 grants (supply/vesting context)
| Instrument | Grant date / period | Quantity | Vesting | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSUs | Nine months ended Sept 30, 2025 | ~933,000 | Over 3 years | Fair value at grant is market price; ~1,481,000 non-vested at 9/30/25 . |
| PSUs | March 3, 2025 | ~224,000 | 3-year performance period | Payout 0–200% of target based on EVA and rTSR . |
| PSOs | March 3, 2025 | ~763,000 | Vest 3 years; expire in 10 years | Strike 10% above close; vol 55.32%; dividend yield 7.22% at grant . |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Details | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership at appointment | No securities beneficially owned (Form 3) | |
| Stock ownership guidelines (executives) | Executives must meet share ownership guidelines; 5-year compliance window; until met, 100% of net shares from vest/exercise must be retained | |
| Multiples (reference) | CEO 5x salary; other NEOs 3x salary (company policy reference for senior execs) | |
| Anti-hedging / anti-pledging | Officers and directors prohibited from hedging and from pledging (special exception required) | |
| Clawback policy | Executive Officer Clawback policy adopted (SEC Rule 10D-1 and NYSE standards) |
Employment Terms
| Term | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Appointment effective date | March 3, 2025 | |
| Title | President, Titanium Technologies | |
| Age | 50 | |
| Change-in-control severance (plan) | Double-trigger; cash lump sum of 2x (CEO 3x) base salary + target annual incentive; pro-rated target annual incentive for year of termination; continued health/dental, life insurance, outplacement for 2 years (CEO 3 years); no excise tax gross-up; 12-month non-compete/non-solicit (CEO 18 months) | |
| Equity vesting mechanics (plan) | PSOs/NQSOs/RSUs vest annually in 3 equal installments; PSUs earned at 3 years | |
| Insider trading policy | Company policy governs trading; grants approved by CLDC; no timing around MNPI |
Investment Implications
- Compensation alignment: AIP and LTIP designs emphasize Adjusted EBITDA, cash discipline (Discretionary FCF, ANWC Days), EVA, and rTSR, directly linking executive pay to profitability, capital efficiency, and shareholder returns; TT’s specific AIP metric on Cost of Manufacturing tightens accountability for operational execution in his segment .
- Retention risk: CIC plan with double-trigger protections, non-compete/non-solicit, and robust clawback plus anti-hedging/pledging policies reduce misalignment and opportunistic exits; specific employment terms for Gumpel are undisclosed, but executives have 5 years to meet share ownership guidelines, limiting near-term selling of vested shares due to 100% net share retention until compliant .
- Trading signals: Form 3 shows no holdings at appointment—monitor forthcoming Form 4s for initial equity grants and vesting cadence; company-wide 2025 equity grants and the December 1, 2025 global TiO2 price increase could improve TT margin trajectory, affecting PSU/EVA outcomes over 2025–2027; TT’s Q3 2025 margin compression underscores sensitivity to price/mix and operational disruptions, making execution on cost and price increases key near-term levers .
- Track record and execution: Prior Olin leadership credentials in cost transformation and EBITDA improvement align with Chemours’ “Pathway to Thrive” pillars; early actions like the Energy Fuels alliance support portfolio and growth agendas relevant to TT’s upstream security and potential value capture .