Orbia appoints a new Chief Financial Officer to support strategic priorities and ensure continuity during executive leadership changes
Orbia Advance Corporation, S.A.B. de C.V. (BMV: ORBIA*) has announced a significant leadership transition within its executive team, marking the conclusion of one chapter and the beginning of another in the company’s financial leadership. After nearly five years of service, James P. “Jim” Kelly will retire from his role as Chief Financial Officer, with Cristian “Cape” Capellino set to assume the position effective March 15, 2026. The transition reflects Orbia’s structured succession planning process and underscores its commitment to disciplined financial management and long-term value creation.
A Period of Transformation Under Jim Kelly’s Leadership
Jim Kelly joined Orbia in 2021 during a time of considerable global uncertainty and transformation. Over the course of his tenure, he played a central role in reinforcing the company’s financial and capital allocation discipline. His leadership helped strengthen reporting frameworks, enhance internal controls and maintain a clear focus on balance sheet resilience, cash flow generation and sustainable growth.
Operating in a dynamic global environment marked by supply chain disruptions, shifting macroeconomic conditions and evolving capital markets, Kelly provided steady guidance that enabled Orbia to navigate complexity while advancing its long-term strategic priorities. Under his financial stewardship, the company sharpened its approach to capital deployment, ensuring that investments aligned with its growth ambitions across multiple sectors and geographies.
Beyond financial oversight, Kelly focused on building a robust and forward-looking finance organization. He enhanced the capabilities of the global finance function, equipping teams with improved tools, systems and governance processes to support data-driven decision-making. His efforts extended to strengthening relationships with external stakeholders, including debt and equity investors, analysts and ratings agencies. By fostering transparent communication and disciplined financial management, he reinforced market confidence in Orbia’s strategic direction.
Sameer Bharadwaj, Chief Executive Officer of Orbia, praised Kelly’s contributions, noting his steady leadership during a period of transformation. According to Bharadwaj, Kelly’s judgment, integrity and collaborative approach have positioned the company well for its next phase of performance. He also highlighted Kelly’s commitment to developing leadership depth across the finance organization, ensuring continuity and strength beyond his tenure.
Although Kelly will formally retire from the CFO role in March 2026, he will remain with the company through mid-year to ensure a seamless transition. This extended transition period reflects Orbia’s emphasis on stability, internal alignment and external continuity.
A Structured Succession and the Appointment of Cristian “Cape” Capellino
Following a comprehensive and structured succession process, Orbia’s Board of Directors appointed Cristian “Cape” Capellino as Chief Financial Officer, effective March 15, 2026. Capellino’s appointment represents both continuity and evolution within Orbia’s financial leadership.
Capellino joined Orbia in 2020 and has since held a series of senior leadership roles within the global finance organization. His experience spans Controllership, Tax, Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) and most recently Finance Transformation. As a member of the finance leadership team, he worked closely with Kelly to strengthen financial governance, drive disciplined capital allocation and modernize financial systems across more than 40 countries in which Orbia operates.
His leadership in finance transformation has been particularly notable. Capellino has helped modernize financial processes and systems, enhancing efficiency, transparency and analytical capability across the enterprise. In a company with operations in more than 50 countries and commercial activities in over 100, harmonizing financial systems and governance structures is a complex undertaking. Capellino’s work in this area has laid the foundation for scalable growth and improved decision support.
Bharadwaj described Capellino as a pivotal force in steering Orbia’s finance transformation efforts. With more than 23 years of finance leadership experience in global industrial and manufacturing environments, Capellino brings both deep technical expertise and strategic insight. His comprehensive understanding of Orbia’s portfolio, capital framework and performance priorities positions him to continue advancing the company’s disciplined execution strategy.
Global Experience and Professional Background
Cristian “Cape” Capellino’s career reflects broad international exposure and deep financial expertise. Before joining Orbia, he held senior finance and business leadership roles at Tenaris, a NYSE-listed global industrial company known for its operations across multiple continents. His time at Tenaris provided him with firsthand experience in managing financial operations within large-scale, capital-intensive industrial environments.
Earlier in his career, Capellino worked at Deloitte, where he gained foundational experience in audit and tax. This background in public accounting has informed his strong command of financial governance, compliance and reporting standards—critical competencies for a multinational organization of Orbia’s scale.
Academically, Capellino holds a Master of Business Administration from the MIT Sloan School of Management, one of the world’s leading business schools. He also earned a Public Accountant degree from the National University of Córdoba. His educational credentials, combined with his extensive professional experience, equip him to guide Orbia’s global finance organization through its next phase of growth and transformation.
Responsibilities as Chief Financial Officer
As CFO, Capellino will oversee Orbia’s global finance organization, presiding over Accounting, Treasury, Financial Planning and Analysis, Tax and Investor Relations. These functions are central to supporting Orbia’s strategic objectives and ensuring disciplined execution across its diverse business groups.
The CFO role at Orbia extends beyond traditional financial stewardship. It involves shaping capital allocation strategies, optimizing the balance sheet, guiding performance management and supporting business leaders in making informed investment decisions. Given Orbia’s presence across multiple sectors—including Polymer Solutions, Building & Infrastructure, Precision Agriculture, Connectivity Solutions and Fluor & Energy Materials—the CFO must balance diverse operational priorities while maintaining financial cohesion at the enterprise level.
Capellino’s familiarity with Orbia’s internal systems and culture is expected to facilitate a smooth transition and sustained momentum. Having worked in close collaboration with Kelly, he inherits a strengthened financial foundation and a clear mandate to continue driving long-term value creation.
Orbia’s Global Footprint and Strategic Focus
Orbia Advance Corporation, S.A.B. de C.V. operates with a shared purpose: to advance life around the world. Its portfolio spans five key business groups, including Polymer Solutions; Building & Infrastructure, known under the Wavin brand; Precision Agriculture through Netafim; Connectivity Solutions under Dura-Line; and Fluor & Energy Materials.
Collectively, these businesses focus on addressing some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Orbia supports food and water security through advanced irrigation and agricultural technologies, expands access to information and connectivity through infrastructure solutions and contributes to decarbonization and the energy transition through advanced materials and specialty products.
With a global team of more than 23,000 employees, commercial activities in over 100 countries and operations in more than 50, Orbia maintains a broad international presence. The company has a strong manufacturing footprint in the United States and maintains headquarters in Boston, Mexico City, Amsterdam and Tel Aviv. In 2025, Orbia generated $7.6 billion in revenue, underscoring the scale and diversity of its operations.
