8-K

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): January 17, 2018

ALBEMARLE CORPORATION

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

Virginia	001-12658	54-1692118
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number)
4350 Congress Street, Suite 700, Charlotte, North Carolina		28209
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)		(Zip Code)

Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code: (980) 299-5700

Not Applicable

(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:

☐ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§ 230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§ 240.12b-2 of this chapter).

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.

On January 17, 2018, Mr. Matthew K. Juneau, the Company’s Executive Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Investor Relations, gave notice of his decision to retire from the Company in March 2018 following over 35 years of service.

A copy of our press release announcing Mr. Juneau’s retirement is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated herein by reference.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits

(d)    Exhibits

99.1 Press Release dated January 18, 2018

Index to Exhibits

Exhibit No.
99.1	Press Release dated January 18, 2018

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

	ALBEMARLE CORPORATION
Date: January 19, 2018	By:	/s/ Karen G. Narwold
		Karen G. Narwold
		Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel

EX-99.1

Exhibit 99.1

Albemarle Announces Retirement of Matt Juneau, Executive Vice President,

Corporate Strategy & Investor Relations; Names Eric W. Norris As Successor

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Jan. 18, 2018 – Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB), a leader in the global specialty chemicals industry, announced today that Matt Juneau, executive vice president, Corporate Strategy & Investor Relations, is retiring from the company in March 2018 and that it has named Eric W. Norris as Albemarle’s chief strategy officer, effective immediately. As chief strategy officer, Norris will be responsible for both Corporate Strategy and Investor Relations.

Juneau will be retiring after more than 35 years with Albemarle Corporation and its predecessor, Ethyl Corporation. During his career at Albemarle, Juneau has served in positions of increasing responsibility, including senior vice president, president, Performance Chemicals, vice president, Polymer Solutions and vice president, Global Sales and Services. “On behalf of the Board of Directors and the leadership team, we thank Matt for his many years of dedicated service to Albemarle,” stated Albemarle Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Luke Kissam. “We wish Matt the best in his retirement.”

Norris joins Albemarle as a seasoned executive with over 20 years of diverse experience in corporate development and business leadership. Prior to joining Albemarle, he served in several roles with FMC Corporation over a 15-year period. Most recently, he served as president, FMC Health and Nutrition, where he was responsible for leading a segment with over $750 million of revenue, 13 stand-alone plants and 12 globally dispersed R&D centers, and over 1,000 employees. Prior to taking on that role, Norris served for five years in FMC’s Lithium segment, first as global commercial director before moving up to vice president and global business director. Other roles at FMC included director, Corporate Development, and in its BioPolymer segment, director, Healthcare Ventures.

“We are delighted to welcome Eric to Albemarle,” stated Kissam. “We look forward to the leadership and contributions his wealth of experience will bring to us. I am confident that his business experiences and insights, combined with his leadership skills, will allow him to make significant contributions to Albemarle’s future success.”

About Albemarle

Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB), headquartered in Charlotte, NC, is a global specialty chemicals company with leading positions in lithium, bromine and refining catalysts. We power the potential of companies in many of the world’s largest and most critical industries, from energy and communications to transportation and electronics. Working side-by-side with our customers, we develop value-added, customized solutions that make them more competitive. Our solutions combine the finest technology and ingredients with the knowledge and know-how of our highly experienced and talented team of operators, scientists and engineers.

Discovering and implementing new and better performance-based sustainable solutions is what motivates all of us. We think beyond business-as-usual to drive innovations that create lasting value. Albemarle employs approximately 4,500 people and serves customers in approximately 100 countries. We regularly post information to www.albemarle.com, including notification of events, news, financial performance, investor presentations and webcasts, non-GAAP reconciliations, SEC filings and other information regarding our company, its businesses and the markets it serves.

“Safe Harbor” Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995:

Statements in this press release regarding Albemarle Corporation’s business that are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements” that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Media Contact: Susan Richardson, (980) 299-5672, Susan.Richardson@albemarle.com

Investor Relations Contact: Eric W. Norris, (980) 299-5518, Eric.Norris@albemarle.com