Celanese adds independent director Fernandez-Moreno
Celanese adds independent director Luis Fernandez-Moreno, expanding its Board to 11 members with deep specialty chemicals experience.
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
Celanese Corp (CE) reports that its Board of Directors increased in size from 10 to 11 members and elected Luis Fernandez-Moreno as a director, effective September 16, 2026, to serve until the 2027 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. The Board determined that he is an independent director under SEC and NYSE standards and that he has no related-party relationships requiring disclosure under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K. Fernandez-Moreno currently serves on the boards of Ingevity Corporation and Select Water Solutions and brings over 40 years of experience in performance materials, specialty ingredients and coatings, including senior leadership roles at Ashland, Arch Chemicals, Rohm & Haas and The Dow Chemical Company. He will be compensated and reimbursed in line with Celanese’s standard practices for non-management directors. Celanese notes that it employed more than 11,000 people worldwide and generated $9.5 billion in net sales in 2025.
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8-K Event Classification
2 items: 5.02, 9.01
2 items
Item 5.02
Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers
Governance
Key personnel changes including departures, elections, or appointments of directors and executive officers.
Item 9.01
Financial Statements and Exhibits
Exhibits
Financial statements, pro forma financial information, or exhibit attachments filed with this report.
Key Figures
Board size after election: 11 directors
Independent directors: 10 directors
Director age: 64 years
+3 more
6 metrics
Board size after election
11 directors
Total Celanese Board members after adding Luis Fernandez-Moreno, effective September 16, 2026
Independent directors
10 directors
Number of independent Celanese Board members after the appointment
Director age
64 years
Age of Luis Fernandez-Moreno at the time of his election
Industry experience
Over 40 years
Luis Fernandez-Moreno’s experience in performance materials, specialty ingredients and coatings
2025 net sales
$9.5 billion
Celanese net sales for 2025
Employees worldwide
More than 11,000
Celanese global employees as of December 31, 2025
Key Terms
independent director, Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K, listing standards of the New York Stock Exchange, specialty materials, +1 more
5 terms
independent director regulatory
"The Board has determined that Mr. Fernandez-Moreno (a) is an independent director"
An independent director is a member of a company's board of directors who is not involved in the company's day-to-day operations and has no significant relationships with the company that could influence their judgment. Their role is to provide unbiased oversight and ensure the company is managed in the best interests of all shareholders. This helps build trust and confidence among investors by promoting transparency and accountability.
Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K regulatory
"transactions or relationships with the Company ... under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K"
listing standards of the New York Stock Exchange regulatory
"within the meaning of ... the listing standards of the New York Stock Exchange"
specialty materials technical
"a global chemical and specialty materials company"
Fortune 500 financial
"Celanese Corporation is a Fortune 500 company"
The Fortune 500 is a list of the 500 biggest companies in the United States, ranked by their total sales or revenue each year. It’s like a ranking of the top players in the business world, showing which companies are the most successful and influential. Being on the list indicates a company’s importance in the economy.
FAQ
AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
What board change did Celanese Corp (CE) announce on September 16, 2026?
Celanese announced that its Board of Directors increased from 10 to 11 members and elected Luis Fernandez-Moreno as a director, effective September 16, 2026, to serve until the company’s 2027 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.
Is Luis Fernandez-Moreno considered independent under Celanese (CE) governance standards?
Yes. The Board determined that Luis Fernandez-Moreno is an independent director under SEC rules and NYSE listing standards, is not related to any officer or director, and is not party to transactions requiring disclosure under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.
What relevant experience does the new Celanese (CE) director Luis Fernandez-Moreno bring?
Luis Fernandez-Moreno, 64, brings over 40 years of leadership in performance materials, specialty ingredients and coatings, including senior roles at Ashland, Arch Chemicals, Rohm & Haas and The Dow Chemical Company, plus current board service at Ingevity Corporation and Select Water Solutions.
How many Celanese (CE) board members are independent after this election?
After his election, the Celanese Board has 11 members, of which 10 are independent, according to the company’s description in the announcement of Luis Fernandez-Moreno’s appointment.
What were Celanese (CE) 2025 net sales and employee count mentioned in the announcement?
Celanese reported $9.5 billion in net sales for 2025 and employed more than 11,000 employees worldwide as of December 31, 2025, providing scale context in the description accompanying the new director’s appointment.
How will Celanese (CE) compensate its new director Luis Fernandez-Moreno?
Luis Fernandez-Moreno will be compensated in accordance with Celanese’s compensation practices for non-management directors and will be reimbursed for expenses incurred on behalf of the company, consistent with company policy.
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): September 16, 2026 (September 16, 2026 )
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) | (Commission File Number) | (IRS Employer Identification No.) | ||||||||||||
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (972 ) 443-4000
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of Each Class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered | ||||||
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers
(d) On September 16, 2026, the Board of Directors (the "Board") of Celanese Corporation (the "Company") increased the size of the Board from 10 to 11 members and elected Luis Fernandez-Moreno as a director of the Company, in each case effective September 16, 2026.
Mr. Fernandez-Moreno has been elected to serve on the Board until the Company's 2027 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, at which time he is expected to be a nominee for election by the Company's shareholders. At this time, Mr. Fernandez-Moreno has not yet been appointed to any committee of the Board.
The Board has determined that Mr. Fernandez-Moreno (a) is an independent director within the meaning of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, rules and regulations promulgated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") thereunder, and the listing standards of the New York Stock Exchange (the "NYSE") and (b) is not related to any officer or director of the Company nor is he a party to any transactions or relationships with the Company and its subsidiaries that require disclosure under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.
Mr. Fernandez-Moreno will be compensated in accordance with the Company's compensation practices for non-management directors. Mr. Fernandez-Moreno will also be reimbursed for expenses incurred on behalf of the Company, in accordance with Company policy.
There are no arrangements or understandings between Mr. Fernandez-Moreno and any other person pursuant to which he was elected as director.
On September 16, 2026, the Company issued a press release announcing the election of Mr. Fernandez-Moreno, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated by reference herein.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits
(d) The following exhibits are being furnished herewith:
| Exhibit Number | ||||||||
| Description | ||||||||
| 99.1 | Press Release dated September 16, 2026 | |||||||
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (the cover page XBRL tags are embedded within the inline XBRL document contained in Exhibit 101) | |||||||
2
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
CELANESE CORPORATION | |||||||||||
| By: | /s/ ASHLEY B. DUFFIE | ||||||||||
| Name: | Ashley B. Duffie | ||||||||||
| Title: | Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary | ||||||||||
| Date: | September 16, 2026 | ||||||||||
3
Exhibit 99.1
| Celanese Corporation | |||||
| 222 West Las Colinas Blvd. | |||||
| Suite 900N | |||||
| Irving, Texas 75039 | |||||
Luis Fernandez-Moreno Elected to
Celanese Board of Directors
DALLAS (September 16, 2026) - Celanese Corporation (NYSE: CE), a global chemical and specialty materials company, today announced that Luis Fernandez-Moreno has been elected to the Company’s Board of Directors. A seasoned public and private company director, Mr. Fernandez-Moreno, 64, currently serves on the boards of Ingevity Corporation, a global specialty materials company, where he has been a director since 2016 and served as interim President and CEO from October 2024 to April 2025, and Select Water Solutions, a provider of sustainable water and chemical solutions to the energy industry. He brings over 40 years of experience and leadership in the performance materials, specialty ingredients and coatings industries across North America, Latin America and Europe. His background spans corporate strategy, growth and innovation, and mergers and acquisitions, giving him a broad perspective on managing global chemicals businesses. He will join the Celanese Board effective September 16, 2026, bringing the total number of Board members to 11 (10 of whom are independent).
Mr. Fernandez-Moreno served as Senior Vice President at Ashland, Inc. from 2013 to 2017 as President of the Chemicals Group and of Specialty Ingredients. Prior to that role, he served as the President of Ashland’s Water Technologies business. Before joining Ashland, he was Executive Vice President at Arch Chemicals, responsible for the HTH Water Products and the Wood Protection businesses. Following The Dow Chemical Company’s acquisition of Rohm & Haas Company, where he served in positions of increasing responsibility for 25 years, Fernandez-Moreno was named Group Vice President for the newly formed Dow Coatings Materials business.
Mr. Fernandez-Moreno holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico and is a graduate of the Wharton Management Certificate Program at the University of Pennsylvania.
"We are pleased to welcome Luis to the Board," stated Ed Galante, Chair of the Board at Celanese Corporation. "Having led multibillion-dollar specialty chemicals businesses across multiple continents, Luis brings significant strategic and operational experience that is directly relevant to Celanese. His proven ability to drive profitable growth and position global businesses for long-term value creation will be instrumental as we continue to advance the Company’s strategic priorities and drive value for our shareholders."
About Celanese
Celanese is a global leader in chemistry, producing specialty material solutions used across most major industries and consumer applications. Our businesses use our chemistry, technology and commercial expertise to create value for our customers, employees and shareholders. We support sustainability by responsibly managing the materials we create and growing our portfolio of sustainable products to meet customer and societal demand. We strive to make a positive impact in our communities and to foster inclusivity across our teams. Celanese Corporation is a Fortune 500 company that employed more than 11,000 employees worldwide as of December 31, 2025 with 2025 net sales of $9.5 billion.
Celanese Contacts:
| Investor Relations | Media - U.S. | Media - Europe | Media - Asia | ||||||||||||||
| Bill Cunningham | Jamaison Schuler | Petra Czugler | Maria Xia | ||||||||||||||
| Phone: +1 302 772 5231 | Phone: +1 972 443 4400 | Phone: +49 69 45009 1206 | Phone: +86 21 3861 9368 | ||||||||||||||
| william.cunningham@celanese.com | media@celanese.com | petra.czugler@celanese.com | maria.xia@celanese.com | ||||||||||||||