Keijzer, a veteran of Dutch paintmaker Akzo Nobel who starts at Clariant on Jan. 1, also acknowledged leaving his last posting with French chemicals maker Imerys in 2019 after just 21 months on the job due to differences that emerged between him and board.

He said he missed the chemicals industry after departing, which convinced him to take the Clariant job.

(Reporting by John Miller, editing by Louise Heavens)