Our Leadership Team
Philippe Merino
Vice President Engineering & Technologies
Philippe Merino joined the Air Liquide Group in 2003 as a Process Engineer and was appointed to his current position in February 2023.
Philippe is a seasoned executive with more than 20 years of international experience in Technology, Operations, and Executive Management. He has held various senior-level positions within the Group, including CEO of Engineering & Construction in France, VP Global Markets & Technologies, VP South West Europe, and most recently, Group VP Engineering & Construction and Capital Implementation.
Philippe is French and Spanish and is an engineering graduate of Ecole Polytechnique and SUPAERO, as well as the Advanced Management Program of Harvard Business School.
Bruno Ponson
Vice President, Air Liquide Engineering & Construction
Bruno Ponson is the Vice President of Air Liquide Engineering & Construction. He joined Air Liquide in 1997. He was appointed to his current position in September, 2023. Bruno has more than twenty five years of experience in the chemical, industrial and medicinal gases sectors. During his long career, he has held technical and managerial roles of increasing responsibility and has contributed to the development of important international projects in Italy, France, Turkey and Qatar. Between 2015 and 2020 he was General Manager in Poland, Ukraine and then Russia, gaining an all-round experience in managing complex organizations and challenges in different markets and industrial sectors. From 2020 to 2023, he was Chief Executive Officer of Air Liquide Italia leading the business growth and positioning the company among the main players in the energy transition, technological innovation and digitalization. Bruno graduated from École des Ponts ParisTech with a Degree in Industrial Engineering.
Xavier Traversac
Vice President advanced Technologies
Xavier Traversac joined the company in 2008 as a Development Engineer for CO2 capture solutions.
Xavier spent eight years with Air Liquide Engineering & Construction (E&C), holding roles in product development and purchasing before leading the transformation of Vitry's manufacturing center into E&C’s Cryogenic Technology Center. He later served as Director of Operations for Large Industries in France and became Chief Procurement Officer for Europe in 2019. He transitioned to Air Liquide advanced Technologies in 2022.
Ludovic Grenot
General Manager Cryolor
Ludovic Grenot was appointed to his current position in February 2021, when he joined Air Liquide.
Ludovic has more than 25 years of experience in manufacturing activities. He previously worked within the Lafarge and ArcelorMittal groups in the stainless steel division known today as Aperam. Throughout his career, he has held finance positions, supply-chain management roles, and European sales responsibilities, and he also served as General Manager of the European stainless steel tubes activity.
Lionel Genix
General Manager Air Liquide Electronics Systems
Lionel Genix is the General Manager of Air Liquide Electronics Systems, focusing on the development and supply of critical gas and chemical delivery systems for the semiconductor industry.
Operating from manufacturing hubs in France and Taiwan, he is responsible for driving operational excellence and innovation. Since joining Air Liquide in 2013, Lionel has held key leadership roles, including President of SEPPIC Inc. in the US and Global General Manager of Air Liquide Medical Systems. His earlier career includes over a decade of management at Dow Chemical, Rohm & Haas, and Procter & Gamble.
Lionel holds M.Sc. degrees from ESPCI Paris and Imperial College London, and an MBA from INSEAD.
Heiko Adelmann
Vice President Capital Implementation
Heiko Adelmann joined the Group in 2007 following the acquisition of Lurgi and was appointed to his current position in January 2022.
Heiko is a seasoned executive with over 25 years of experience in strategic portfolio management and the execution of major capital investments. He serves as the Chairman of the E&T Risk Committee (ERC), validating major new commitments. His prior leadership roles include VP Large Projects Execution in Russia, EMI Finance Director, and Senior Manager Corporate Finance.
Heiko holds a Diplom-Ingenieur in Civil Engineering from Karlsruhe University and an MSc in European Construction Management from Nottingham Trent University.
Julien Alavin-Miquel
Chief Legal Officer
Julien Alavin-Miquel orchestrates a global Legal team structured around Innovation & Partnerships, Commercial Excellence, Industrial Performance, and Corporate Compliance.
Julien joined Air Liquide in 2018. Before moving to his current position in 2026, he served as General Counsel for Air Liquide advanced Technologies, notably spearheading a major divestiture of the Aeronautics & Defense business. Previously, he spent eight years at a major oil and gas company focusing on international M&A and industrial contracts. Julien provides strategic counsel for complex global projects, driving growth while ensuring robust risk mitigation across all Engineering & Technologies entities.
Severine Adami
Chief Financial Officer, Innovation & Technologies
Séverine Adami is the Chief Financial Officer for the InnoTech GBU and serves as CFO for Engineering & Technologies.
She is a seasoned finance and strategy executive with over 20 years of international experience. Since joining Air Liquide in 2016, she has held leadership roles including Strategy and Corporate Development Director for the Electronics WBL, CFO for Innovation and Development, and Managing Director of ALIAD. Séverine's early career focused on strategy and management consulting before she spent a decade in the building materials industry managing corporate strategy, M&A, and finance across emerging geographies.
She holds an engineering degree from Institut National Agronomique Paris-Grignon and an MBA from INSEAD.
Natalia Anjaparidze
Vice President Communications, Innovation & Technology, Hydrogen and Electronics
Natalia Anjaparidze
Vice President Communications, Innovation & Technology, Hydrogen and Electronics
Natalia Anjaparidze is a strategic leader with nearly 20 years of international experience in the energy and industrial sectors. She joined Air Liquide in 2016 and was appointed to her current role in 2023. Previously, she led strategic communications for Air Liquide Engineering & Construction, Large Industries, and Europe Industries, and served on the Supervisory Board of Air Liquide Engineering & Construction Poland.
Natalia is a recipient of the Oxford Saïd Business School scholarship for exceptional women leaders.
Julien Vallette-Viallard
Vice President Human Resources, Innovation & Technology
Julien Vallette-Viallard is the Human Resources Vice-President for Innovation, Technologies, Electronics, and Hydrogen at Air Liquide. He also acts as HRVP for Engineering & Technologies and supervises labor relations for all activities in France.
Julien began his career in R&D and technology consulting before joining Air Liquide’s e-business department in 2001. He transitioned to Group Human Resources in 2007 to manage Human Resources development and talent. His leadership journey includes roles as Human Resources Director for Europe Industries, ALIT, and Air Liquide France Industrie. He later served as HRVP for the South West Europe Cluster and the Innovation & Development Division, before his scope expanded to his current responsibilities.