Leadership Driving the Future of Sustainable Aluminum

Steve Fisher is President and Chief Executive Officer of Novelis Inc., the leading sustainable aluminum solutions provider and world leader in aluminum rolling and recycling. Novelis supplies premium aluminum sheet and light gauge products to the aerospace, automotive, beverage can and specialties markets throughout North America, Europe, Asia and South America.

Since joining the company in 2006, Fisher has served in a number of executive positions, most recently as Chief Financial Officer. During his tenure as CFO, Novelis invested approximately $2 billion to transform and grow its business. Prior to that, Fisher served as Vice President of Strategic Planning and Corporate Development, where he spearheaded major strategic, corporate and financial transactions across the company, most notably the discussions that led to the 2007 acquisition of Novelis by Hindalco. In 2020, under Steve’s leadership, Novelis acquired Aleris Corporation, another global aluminum supplier, for $2.8 billion, further extending the company’s global footprint and capabilities.

Throughout his career, Fisher has held significant roles in finance and accounting, strategic planning and business development. Prior to joining Novelis, Fisher spent 13 years consulting with, or as part of, the management teams of various energy companies. He served as Vice President and Controller for TXU Energy, the non-regulated subsidiary of TXU Corp, at its headquarters in Dallas, Texas.

Fisher is a member of the Business Roundtable, an association of leading U.S. companies working to promote sound public policy. He is also a member of the board of directors of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, as well as the Atlanta Committee for Progress, helping to accelerate Atlanta’s competitiveness for residents, businesses and investment. Fisher received a bachelor’s degree in finance and accounting from the University of Iowa and is a certified public accountant.

Dev Ahuja is Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Novelis Inc., the leading sustainable aluminum solutions provider and world leader in rolled aluminum products and recycling. In this role, Dev oversees all aspects of the company’s financial functions and activities including accounting, treasury, global financial planning & analysis, taxes, investor relations, IT and Procurement. During his tenure at Novelis, Dev has led the company through large organic expansion initiatives, portfolio rationalization and transactions that included the successful $2.8 billion acquisition and integration of Aleris in 2020. In his tenure the company raised $8 billion of debt refinancing and M&A financing transactions in US and international debt markets.

Prior to joining Novelis in 2016, Dev served as Chief Financial Officer of Alcon, North America, a subsidiary of global healthcare company Novartis. During his 15 years at Novartis, he held various positions of increasing responsibility across the globe as CFO for several affiliates leading teams in the United States, Japan, South Korea, Switzerland and India.

Prior to Novartis, Dev worked in the areas of accounting, controllership, business planning and strategic planning for a number of different companies.

Dev serves on the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of the National Association of Manufacturers, the largest association in the Unites States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector across all 50 states. He is also on the Advisory Board of the Atlanta CFO Roundtable.

Dev holds a bachelor’s degree in commerce from RA Podar College of Commerce & Economics in Mumbai, India, and is a Chartered Accountant. He completed a general management program from INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France.

Emilio Braghi is President of Novelis Europe and Chief Operating Officer of Novelis, the leading sustainable aluminum solutions provider and world leader in aluminum rolling and recycling. In his role as Chief Operating Officer, he is responsible for Novelis’ overall operational performance, with a focus on driving standard processes, tools, and technologies globally, aligning metal and non-metal procurement strategies, and ensuring Novelis is the industry’s standout leader in operations. Additionally, as President of Novelis Europe, he oversees 10 European facilities that recycle and manufacture aluminum for many markets, including automotive, building, packaging and transportation.

Mr. Braghi was previously Vice President, Operations, Novelis North America. Before that, he served as Vice President, Sales and Operations for Novelis Asia, with responsibility for all commercial and manufacturing activities in the region. Prior to joining the Asia leadership team in March 2012 as Vice President, Operations, Mr. Braghi served as Vice President and General Manager of the Specialties value stream in Europe.

From 2006 to 2012, he held various general management roles with Novelis Europe’s Litho and Painted Products value streams.

Prior to the formation of Novelis, Mr. Braghi had been with Alcan since 1999, where he began as Sales Manager, Europe.

Mr. Braghi graduated from Politecnico di Milano with a degree in engineering and industrial production technologies.​

Christopher A. Cerone is Vice President of Global Government Affairs at Novelis Inc., the leading sustainable aluminum solutions provider and world leader in aluminum rolling and recycling. In this role, he is responsible for leading the development of Novelis’ public policy positions, advocacy activities and global communications.

Chris came to Novelis from Zimmer Biomet, where he served as Senior Vice President, Global Government Affairs, from 2004 to 2021. Prior to that, he served as Associate Vice President, Global Strategy and Analysis, for AdvaMed. Chris also worked for Eli Lilly and Company (1995-2000), where he held the titles of Senior Associate, Global Economic Affairs and Associate, Public Policy. Chris’ professional experience also includes a stint with the U.S. Department of Commerce (1992-1995) as an International Trade Specialist, focusing on trade policy issues related to China, the Middle East and North Africa.

Chris is a member of the Business-Government Relations Council’s Board of Directors and currently serves as its President, after having served as its Program Chair (2019), Secretary and Treasurer (2020) and Vice President (2021). Chris also serves on the Advisory Board for The Williams School of Commerce, Economics and Politics at Washington and Lee University, and is actively engaged in various alumni leadership roles including Class Agent. He also actively serves on various committees for the U.S.-Japan Business Council, the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation and the National Italian-American Foundation.

Chris holds a Master of Arts degree in International Affairs from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. He also studied Russian language at the University of Virginia’s Summer Foreign Language Institute.

Francisco Pires is Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer of Novelis, the leading sustainable and innovative aluminum solutions provider and world largest recycler if aluminum.

Prior to this role, Pires served as Senior Vice President and President of Novelis South America, from 2019-2024. In this role, he directed all aspects of the company’s business in the region, including the expansion of the rolling and recycling facilities in Pindamonhangaba, Brazil.

Pires joined Novelis in 2012 as Procurement Director for Novelis South America, moving to the position of Director, Procurement and Supply Chain a year later. As part of those roles, Pires led the development of strategic sourcing models, as well as the inventory optimization for the region’s supply chain. In 2014, Pires was named Vice President, Commercial, for Novelis South America, where he led the growth of sales, customer satisfaction and development of new markets in Brazil and Latin America. After four years in the Commercial function, Pires was appointed as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the region. In this role, he oversaw the region’s Operations, Sales, Procurement (Metal & Non-Metal), Recycling and Supply Chain functions, while also preparing the region for future investments.

Prior to joining Novelis, Pires held various roles in engineering, consulting, international logistics, purchasing and supply chain. With nearly 30 years of experience, Pires has served in leadership positions at companies such as Fibria, Votorantim Cellulose & Paper, Maxlog and Bureau Veritas. Pires holds a degree in naval engineering from the University of Rio de Janeiro and a master’s degree in business from COPPEAD. He also participated in leadership development programs in conjunction with Academia Votorantim in Brazil and with Duke University in the United States, Germany, and China.

Derek Prichett is Senior Vice President of Global Metal at Novelis Inc., the leading sustainable aluminum solutions provider and world leader in aluminum rolling and recycling.

Prior to this, Derek served as Senior Vice President, Corporate Development, Chief Information Officer and Chief Digital Officer. Since joining the company in 1992, he has held positions of increasing responsibility in operations, sales, procurement and general management. Derek is a native of Ottawa, Canada.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, and a master’s degree from McGill University in Montreal.

Greg Schlicht is Executive Vice President and President of Novelis North America. In this role, which he was named to in September 2025, Mr. Schlicht is responsible for all facets of the business in the region.

Prior to being appointed to his current position, Mr. Schlicht served as Interim Vice President of Commercial for Novelis North America and Chief Commercial Officer of Novelis Inc. Before this, Mr. Schlicht served as Senior Vice President, Global Beverage Packaging Sales, for four years. In this role, he led the global beverage packaging business strategy; coordinated global strategy for key accounts; and drove commercial, technical and innovation excellence for beverage packaging. From 2015 to 2021, Mr. Schlicht was Vice President of Strategy, Corporate Development & Sustainability, leading strategic transactions, the annual strategic planning process, and risk management and competitive intelligence activities, along with establishing sustainability targets aligned to customer needs. Mr. Schlicht joined the company in November 2009 in the Legal department as Assistant General Counsel – Mergers, Divestitures & Acquisitions.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a law degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Greg is a member of the board of directors of Atlanta Habitat for Humanity.

Chirag Shah serves as Interim Chief Legal Officer at Novelis Inc., the leading sustainable aluminum solutions provider and world leader in rolled aluminum products and recycling. In this role, Chirag is a member of the company’s Executive Committee and is responsible for leading the company’s global legal, compliance, and security functions.

Chirag joined Novelis in May 2011, and over the course of his tenure at Novelis, he has held leadership roles within the legal department overseeing corporate finance, securities, governance, intellectual property, contracts management, risk management, corporate secretarial matters, and mergers, acquisitions and divestitures. Prior to becoming Interim Chief Legal Officer, Chirag advanced through increasingly senior roles at Novelis, from Assistant General Counsel to Deputy General Counsel to General Counsel.

Prior to joining Novelis, Chirag served as a corporate associate at King & Spalding LLP in Atlanta, where he focused his practice on advising public and private companies on M&A transactions. He began his legal career as a corporate associate at Troutman Pepper Locke LLP in Houston.

Chirag holds dual bachelor’s degrees in finance and economics from The University of Tennessee, and a Juris Doctor degree from Vanderbilt University, where he served on The Vanderbilt Law Review. Chirag serves on the board of directors of the Children’s Museum of Atlanta and is a member of Leadership Atlanta’s Class of 2025.

H.R. Shashikant is Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer of Novelis Inc., the leading sustainable aluminum solutions provider and world leader in aluminum rolling and recycling. In this role, Shashikant is responsible for the formulation and implementation of the company’s worldwide human resources objectives, policies and practices. As the head of the global Human Resources (HR) function, he has responsibility for Talent Acquisition and Development, Compensation, Benefits, HRIS and Global Security.

Before joining Novelis in May 2015, Shashikant was Group Executive President, Group Human Resources, for the Aditya Birla Group (ABG), the Mumbai-based conglomerate of which Novelis is a part. In his 29-year career, Shashikant has held progressively senior human resources leadership roles in a number of global organizations.

He joined ABG as a Vice President in 1999 and was instrumental in setting up HR systems, processes, and Centers of Excellence across the Group. In 2013, Shashikant received ABG’s Outstanding Leader award. He has also held HR positions with Brooke Bond India, a member of the Unilever group, and the Indian divisions of chemical and pharmaceutical company Rhone-Poulenc Rorer, Castrol and Les Laboratories Servier.

An Economics graduate from Karnataka University in Dharwad, India, Shashikant holds a post graduate degree in Personnel Management from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. He also holds a certification in Organizational Development from the NTL Institute for Applied Behavioral Science in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Roberta Soares is Senior Vice President and President, Novelis South America, the leading sustainable aluminum solutions provider and world leader in aluminum rolling and recycling. In this role, which she was appointed to in June 2024, she is responsible for leading the overall strategy and P&L for Novelis’ South America business, which includes sales to the beverage packaging and specialty products market.

Prior to being named to this position, Soares served as Vice President of Operations for Novelis South America for three years. Prior to that, she spent four years as Vice President of Finance and IT for the region. Throughout her tenure with Novelis, which began in 2000, Roberta has held leadership roles of increasing responsibility in operations, finance, strategy, marketing and recycling.

Soares holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Fundação Getúlio Vargas and a post-graduate degree in industrial administration from the University of São Paulo.

Michael Wälchli is Executive Vice President and President, Novelis Asia. In this role, which he was appointed to in February 2026, he is responsible for leading the overall strategy and P&L for Novelis’ Asia business, with responsibilities spanning the entire supply chain, operations and sales to the beverage packaging, automotive, aerospace, and specialty products markets.

Previously, Michael held the position of Chief Manufacturing Officer at Novelis, Inc., where he led global initiatives to drive sustainable and efficient manufacturing operations. His oversight included key areas such as Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS); Operational Excellence; CapEx Management; Engineering, Maintenance, Reliability, Automation (EMRA); and process technology innovation along the production process from casting to rolling and finishing. He also chaired the Novelis Manufacturing Council and contributed as a member of the Manufacturing Talent Council for Aditya Birla Group (ABG), advancing strategic projects focused on innovation and talent development within the manufacturing sector.

Michael joined Novelis in 2015 in the European Strategy team, where he was responsible for developing and implementing initiatives to improve the profitability of the European commercial and operations functions. He later served as Plant Manager for the Sauerland plants in Ohle and Lüdenscheid before being named Technical Managing Director of Alunorf, where he led the transformation of the joint venture between Novelis and Hydro (until 2021, then Speira), through a focus on culture, operational excellence, and digitalization. In 2023, Michael was appointed to the role of Deputy Chief Manufacturing Officer before being named Chief Manufacturing Officer in February 2024.

Prior to Novelis, Michael spent six years as a consultant with McKinsey & Company where he worked on client engagements in North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia.

Michael holds a master’s degree in finance from the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland and an MBA from the University of Cambridge. He also underwent further studies in engineering, operations management and digitalization at the University of Warwick, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in Lausanne.