Growth Markets
August 17, 2026
Kaiser Aluminum names new chief executive
Written by Stephanie Ritenbaugh
Kaiser Aluminum Corp. has named a new chief executive officer and president.
Fred Stephan will take the role effective Nov. 1, under the company’s long-term succession plan.
Stephan succeeds Keith Harvey, who has led the company since July 31, 2020, and has served as board chairman since Jan. 1, 2025. Harvey will serve as a special adviser to Stephan through Oct. 31, 2027.
“After a deliberate and comprehensive CEO succession process, we are confident Fred possesses all of the qualities necessary to continue Kaiser Aluminum’s strong momentum and carry the company forward into its next chapter,” Michael Arnold, Kaiser Aluminum’s lead independent director, said in a statement.
Most recently, Stephan served as chief operating officer of Amcor Global Flexible Packaging Solutions, where he oversaw global manufacturing, R&D and commercial functions, including sales, marketing and product management, for over 200 manufacturing sites across more than 35 countries with 40,000 employees.
From 2019 to 2024, Stephan served as a business group president of Amcor Flexibles North America following Amcor’s acquisition of Bemis Company, where he had served as president of Bemis North America. Stephan also spent more than a decade in senior leadership roles at Johns Manville, a Berkshire Hathaway company. Earlier in his career, he held positions at General Electric Co. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University.
“Fred is the right leader to execute on our strategic priorities and build on the strong foundation this team has created,” Harvey said in a statement. “Serving as CEO and president over the last six years has been the highlight of my career, and I feel so fortunate to have spent over four decades with this incredible company.”
