Cyclyx announces new CEO

Houston-based postuse plastic-to-feedstock company Cyclyx International LLC has appointed Chris Yandell to serve as its CEO, effective Jan. 1, 2025. Outgoing CEO Joe Vaillancourt is retiring and will serve as a board advisor throughout 2025 to ensure a seamless transition.

“Joe transformed Cyclyx from a nascent vision to a thriving organization,” says Ranjeet Bhatia, Cyclyx board chair and CEO of Agilyx. “We are grateful to Joe for the significant milestones Cyclyx has achieved under his leadership. Moving forward, the board and I are thrilled to welcome Chris as Cyclyx’s new CEO. Chris’ record of managing high-performing teams and his global industry expertise make him the right person to lead the company’s next phase of growth.”

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According to the company, Yandell has more than 20 years of leadership experience in the specialty chemicals industry, with a proven ability to navigate complex domestic and international markets. He has held roles within Albermarle Corp., including chief commercial officer for refining catalysts and vice president of lithium operations, leading and executing strategic initiatives across the United States, Chile, Australia and China.

Cyclyx says that throughout his career, Yandell has demonstrated a strong focus on operational excellence, strategic growth and delivering results. Most recently, Yandell served as senior vice president at Compass Minerals International, where he led the company’s lithium business. His leadership experience also spans roles at Praxair (now Linde) and BASF.

A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Yandell holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and an MBA from Louisiana State University. He also is a graduate of the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.

“I am excited to join Cyclyx and look forward to working with the board and this accomplished team to lead the organization through this pivotal phase of transformational growth,” Yandell says. “My focus will be on developing the Cyclyx Circularity Centers and advancing the company’s mission to increase the recyclability of postuse plastic.”

Cyclyx plans to establish a centralized office and “state-of-the-art” laboratory capabilities in the Houston area as the company continues to expand its facilities and services. The company recently announced a final investment decision for a $135 million investment by Agilyx, ExxonMobil and LyondellBasell to fund the construction and operations of a second Cyclyx Circularity Center (CCC2) located in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, with an expected startup in the second half of 2026.

Located in Houston, the first Circularity Center (CCC1) is slated to open in 2025. Once operational, the company says the two centers will have a combined capacity to process approximately 600 million pounds of plastic scrap per year to produce feedstock for customers using mechanical and advanced recycling technologies.