Alfa Laval
In March 2026, we get to meet Cedric Domont an executive with over 20 years at Alfa Laval and currently serving as President of the Middle East & Africa region, overseeing 43 countries. Originally from France, he began in operations before making a bold move into sales, shaping his strong customer-focused leadership style. His priorities center on people, customers, and planet—driving growth, developing talent, strengthening customer partnerships, and supporting sustainability across energy, water, food, and pharma sectors. Cedric values teamwork, respect, dedication, and exploration. Personally, he is a proud father and passionate about coaching and developing others.
Alfa Laval operates in Energy, Marine, and Food & Water, providing technologies and services to industries in around 100 countries. The company focuses on optimizing processes, enabling responsible growth, and helping customers achieve both business and sustainability goals.
Its solutions support energy efficiency, heat recovery, water treatment, and emissions reduction through technologies that purify, refine, and reuse resources. By promoting more responsible use of natural resources, Alfa Laval creates value for customers, people, and the planet — advancing better every day.
Read more here.
Hej SBC Member!
Who is Cedric Domont?
I come from a small French city called Soissons, which is famously known for the “Vase of Soissons” and King Clovis. It’s a quiet place with a lot of history, and perhaps that grounded beginning shaped who I am today.
I have been part of the Alfa Laval Group for more than 20 years, interestingly without ever working for Alfa Laval France. My career has taken me across countries and cultures, and I have truly embraced that international journey.
I started my career in operations, leading a service center and a factory. But quite early on, I realized something important about myself: I am deeply customer-oriented. I love engaging with customers, understanding their challenges, and working with teams to solve real problems. That realization led me to make what many would consider a bold decision: I stepped down two levels in the organization to move into sales so I could properly learn the craft of sales and sales leadership. It was a humbling but defining moment in my journey.
Since then, I have worked at our headquarters in Lund, traveled extensively, moved to Dubai in 2014 to lead Service Sales in the region, relocated to Sweden to head Global Service Sales, then became Managing Director for Benelux in the Netherlands, and eventually returned to Dubai to lead the Middle East & Africa region. Today, we cover 43 countries, a region that is incredibly dynamic, diverse, and full of potential. I genuinely love its complexity.
On the personal side, I am a proud father to my son Jules, who turns 16 this summer. Outside of work, I enjoy cycling and running, but coaching is my true passion. I coach my son’s sports team and mentor others as well, including through the Swedish Business Council. Developing people, whether in business or sports, is something that gives me real energy.
A little over a year ago, you were appointed President of Middle East & Africa at Alfa Laval.
Could you describe your main responsibilities in this role and highlight the key strategic priorities you are currently focusing on?
My main responsibility is to lead a very diverse region covering 43 countries, headquartered in Dubai. Of course, growth is fundamental; we want to expand our presence and strengthen our position across industries.
But beyond growth, I see our role as becoming a true transition leader in the region. The Middle East and Africa are going through significant transformations, particularly in sustainability, energy transition, and water management. Africa, in particular, is home to the fastest-growing population in the world. This creates both responsibility and opportunity. Alfa Laval can play a critical role in supporting the continent’s development, especially in food and pharma, by enabling safe food production, improving processing efficiency, and supporting sustainable industrial growth.
Our strategic priorities can be summarized in three words: people, customers, and planet.
Caring for our people means attracting and retaining top talent, building a high-performing and engaged culture, and giving individuals the opportunity to grow, just as I was given throughout my career.
Caring for our customers means being genuinely customer-centric. We must listen, understand, and deliver value that truly meets their operational and sustainability needs. Service plays a major role here, extending equipment lifecycle, being close to customers, and supporting them over the long term.
Caring for the planet is embedded in everything we do. As a group, we are committed to pioneering positive impact and have reduced our operational emissions (Scope 1 and 2) by 62% between 2020 and 2025. In the region, we want to contribute to that broader journey by supporting sustainable industries and remaining agile and exploratory, always challenging ourselves to innovate.
You have spent more than 18 years at Alfa Laval, building a long and diverse career within the organisation.
Looking back, which initiatives, milestones, or moments stand out as the most meaningful or impactful for you?
There are a few defining moments.
One defining moment in my career came in 2008, when I had to lead without direct authority, managing through influence rather than hierarchy. I did not have a formal team reporting to me, yet I was responsible for driving results across functions and geographies. That experience fundamentally shaped my leadership philosophy. I learned that titles do not create leadership; trust does. When you cannot rely on hierarchy, you must rely on credibility, clarity of purpose, and genuine collaboration. It taught me to listen more, align people around shared goals, and build relationships based on mutual respect. To this day, I believe influence is far more powerful than authority.
Another major milestone was becoming an expatriate in 2014. Relocating with my family was both a professional and personal leap. Living and working across cultures pushes you beyond your comfort zone and broadens your perspective. It strengthens resilience and deepens empathy, qualities that have shaped me as a leader. More than a decade later, we still truly value the expatriate experience.
Returning to the Middle East to lead the region was equally meaningful. It felt like coming home to a place I genuinely appreciate. The region’s dynamism and ambition are unique and leading such a diverse and high-potential market is both inspiring and energizing, professionally and personally.
Throughout all these milestones, Alfa Laval has consistently provided opportunities to grow through international roles, new challenges, and continuous development. That trust and investment in people have been one of the greatest privileges of my career.
How has your experience been working for a Swedish company like Alfa Laval?
Which company values do you personally appreciate or identify with the most?
Working for a Swedish company has been a very positive experience. Alfa Laval has a strong people-centric culture, and that is something I deeply appreciate.
The company truly invests in individual development. As long as you perform and deliver, you are given opportunities to grow across functions, countries, and responsibilities.
I strongly identify with our core values: Team Play, Respect, Dedication, and Exploration. These are not just words; they shape how we operate. Team Play reflects how we collaborate across cultures. Respect defines how we treat one another and our customers. Dedication drives performance. And Exploration encourages curiosity and innovation.
As a leader, I see these values reflected in how I approach my work and my teams.
Looking ahead, what are your aspirations or dreams—both for your career and your personal life?
Professionally, my aspiration is clear: to continue growing the Middle East, South & East Africa region while developing our people and maintaining strong customer satisfaction. Leading this region is both a pleasure and a responsibility. I want us to grow in a sustainable way, commercially strong, but also aligned with the broader transition toward more sustainable industries.
Remaining agile, exploring new opportunities, and challenging ourselves to pioneer new solutions are important to me. The region has enormous potential, and I would like to see us fully unlock it.
On a personal level, my focus is much simpler. My son is 16, and like any parent, I hope to see him develop, thrive, and find his own path, perhaps starting with entering a good university where he can grow into the person he wants to become.
At the end of the day, whether in business or in family life, it’s about grow