Hilde Merete Aasheim

Norsk Hydro, a Norwegian industrial company founded in 1905, has been reinventing itself in recent years under Hilde Merete Aasheim as a key partner for original equipment manufacturers that want to reduce their carbon footprint. In April, Hydro signed a deal to supply Porsche’s electric vehicles with aluminum made with renewable energy. That followed a similar deal last year with Mercedes-Benz. Such innovation is helping insulate Hydro from declining aluminum prices owing to higher Chinese production and softening demand from clients in the construction and building sectors. Under Aasheim, who joined Hydro in 2005 as head of human resources before becoming CEO four years ago, Hydro’s revenue rose 16% last year to $22.2 billion.