CRH has hired US executive Nancy Buese to become its next chief financial officer (CFO) as the building materials giant continues to target inclusion on the S&P 500, the world’s most followed stock market index.
Ms Buese will take up the role in the middle of May, having most recently served as CFO of Baker Hughes, a US energy group. Prior to that, she held a similar role between 2016 and 2022 at Newmont Corporation, a gold mining group.
She will be based in New York at CRH.
Its previous permanent CFO Jim Mintern became group chief executive in January. The role has been filled since then on an interim basis by Alan Connolly.
“We are pleased to welcome Nancy to CRH,” said Mr Mintern. “Her exceptional track record of financial leadership and operational insight make her the ideal person for this role and her experience will be invaluable as we undertake the next phase of our growth journey.”
Shares in CRH have dipped 8.3 per cent so far this year, amid wider market concerns about the protectionist policies of US president Donald Trump and the knock-on impact on the world’s largest economy, which is the building materials giant’s main market.
CRH moved its main stock market listing to New York in September 2023, ultimately with the aim of securing inclusion on the S&P 500.
CRH expects its earnings margins, which have doubled over the past 11 years, to widen further in 2025 as it benefits from ongoing spending on infrastructure on both sides of the Atlantic, even as house building remains weak.
The group said in February it expects its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation to rise as much as 11.6 per cent to $7.7 billion (€6.8 billion) this year after its results for last year met market expectations.
