Reflections from our CEO on 20 years of ArcelorMittal

Aditya, ArcelorMittal will celebrate its 20th anniversary on 1st August 2026.  How meaningful is this to you as CEO?

Super meaningful!  It’s such a significant moment, we should take time to celebrate and take stock of all the achievements of every team member at ArcelorMittal.

I remember clearly when I realized how critical it was to merge with Arcelor to forge what would be a truly unique company in the steel industry.  Not just the largest and most global, but more importantly it was an opportunity to create the most sophisticated technologically advanced producer of high-quality steels. The more I thought about it, the more I realized how exceptional the potential was for both companies.    At the time the idea seemed very radical to almost everyone but the more I thought about it, it was clear we needed to be bold.  Our belief in the strength of the combination has been borne out by the past 20 years. I would like to take this opportunity to thank and congratulate everyone who has made the company what it is today.

How much has ArcelorMittal changed in the last two decades?

A lot has changed – in the world and in ArcelorMittal.  If I were to highlight one common theme it would be innovation.  The technological transformation in the world in the past two decades has been extraordinary.  2006 was still the pre-iPhone era, now we are steeped in AI and robotics.

Similarly, we have put a lot of focus on innovation and research and development in the company, spending $300 million dollars every year both on product and process research.   Steel might look as though it’s all the same but in fact we make hundreds of different grades of steel every year and a lot of the steels that we make today were developed during the last 20 years.  We have a team of 1,650 scientists working every day to innovate and develop new steels that are stronger, lighter and lower carbon.  These are the steels that are building today’s electric vehicles, enabling renewable energy infrastructure and supporting the world’s most iconic buildings, including the Freedom Tower in New York.

One thing that has not changed has been our values – safety, sustainability, quality and leadership.  These continue to underpin everything we do.

You mentioned the company’s values.  Is there one that resonates most strongly with you?

Absolutely let’s take our first value, safety. Everything starts with safety.  When you are a heavy manufacturing company, you work hard every day to keep your employees safe and ensure everyone goes home to their families.  It starts with a very clear understanding of all the risks, strong policies, standards and rules, rigorous training and the active cultivation of a culture where people understand that safety comes first before anything else and they should speak out when they see anything unsafe. I am determined that ArcelorMittal leads the way in its safety performance globally. 

What do you like most about ArcelorMittal?

The passion of our teams!  We are 125,000 people across the company.  And what connects all of us is this genuine love and passion for the material we make. If you go to any of the ArcelorMittal plants, you will meet people who love steel. I’m the same.  I grew up in a steel plant.  My strongest childhood memories are the plant in Indonesia that my father set up. If there was a breakdown in the plant, I would often find myself in the back of a car inside a steel shop on a Saturday night or whenever,  while my father would go in to see how he could help solve the problem. I also take quiet satisfaction from the fact steel is always around us, even if you might not be aware of it. Today the focus on low-carbon puts steel again in the spotlight.  We have one of the lowest carbon footprints of any material in the world and we are entirely recyclable. Also, steel is essential to much of the low carbon infrastructure that is being built.  So, we start at a relatively promising position, and we have the technologies to reduce our carbon footprint further, and I’m confident that will happen over time as they become competitive.  

How do you run a company as large and complex as ArcelorMittal?

By having great teams.  We operate the company with a decentralized and empowered philosophy. All our segments have their own extremely capable management teams who are entrusted to run their businesses.  This is also very motivating for them and gives them the opportunity to really own the performance and make a huge contribution to all stakeholders.  This also allows us the time and space to focus on long-term strategy and supporting the segments with important decisions and strategic choices.  

What are your personal highlights of the past 20 years?

There are so, so, so many! It is hard to distil 20 special years, but I will provide a few highlights. 

I am very proud of the profile of the company today and the culture we have created. We have grown our business, and on a truly global scale, unmatched by any peer, while maintaining our entrepreneurial DNA.

We have achieved this by making some important strategic choices post the merger with Arcelor and Mittal Steel.    A great example is an asset we have today but which we didn’t own – and indeed did not exist back in 2006 - Calvert in Alabama. This has become central to our position in North America.  Constructed as the most advanced finishing facility in the world, we have invested and are continuing to invest, to enhance the asset, including in steelmaking capacity.  Today this plant produces the most advanced high quality, low-carbon steel for the most demanding automotive customers.  

Similarly, in 2006 we hadn’t yet established a meaningful presence in India, a market which is one of the fastest growth markets of the next decade and beyond.  That only came in 2019 with the acquisition of Essar Steel.  Now we have very ambitious growth plans for the company. We have already doubled the 8 million tonnes facility that we acquired and have both further brownfield and greenfield expansion plans.   As someone born in India, it is very rewarding to see India flourishing.

And then of course the sponsorships of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.  We supported the London 2012 Games, and the Paris 2024 Games.  To be associated with these iconic sporting moments is an enormous privilege.  And at both these games our steel has played a defining role, including in Paris with the torches, cauldrons, and spectaculars and agitos on the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe.  Seeing our steel in the shape of the Olympic Rings on the Eiffel Tower – that is a memory that will live with me forever.

You mention the Olympic Games, it seems you love your sport…

I do, it’s true.  I’ve always loved sport.  We all have our hobbies and mine have often been sports related.  Playing sport, watching sport, supporting my children with their sporting passions and cheering on our favorite teams. We enjoy a lot of sports but having been educated in the American school system I’ve always enjoyed basketball and football.  And of course, cricket – I am Indian after all!

What are your predictions for the next 20 years?  How is ArcelorMittal going to stay ahead and continue to lead the industry?

I feel very positive about the future outlook for steel.  A lot of demand drivers are aligning which bodes well for the industry. But that in itself is not enough.  We won’t continue to lead if we sit still. 

First, we must continue with our safety-first mentality, leading the world in safety innovation and practices. 

Second, we must be dynamic and open to continuous change.  As ArcelorMittal has grown, we’ve worked hard to maintain the entrepreneurial spirit and DNA that drove our growth.  Today’s world is more dynamic and complex than anything that has come before – and that is only going to continue.  Even traditional industries like steel are advancing all the time.  The steels we make today are very different to the steels we made 20 years ago so we must continue to focus on innovation. We are now introducing AI into our factories, and this is definitely a key trend for the future. Our purpose is smarter steels for people and planet and that captures our drive very appropriately. 

Underpinning all of this is our company’s approach to doing business responsibly: surround yourself with great teams, invest responsibly behind people and infrastructure, respect the communities that give institutions their meaning, and build patiently for the next generation.