CEO-led hydrogen alliance the Hydrogen Council has announced Air Liquide CEO François Jackow as its new co-chairperson.

Jackow takes over from Linde CEO Sanjiv Lamba.

He joins Hyundai Motor Group vice-chairperson Jaehoon Chang at what the council calls a defining moment for the global hydrogen industry.

“Hydrogen has entered its delivery phase. With $110-billion in committed investment across more than 500 projects past financial investment decision (FID), globally, and a pipeline maturation cycle mirroring early stages of sectors like solar and wind, the industry is emerging stronger, more focused and ready to scale.

“In this next phase, the council’s leadership will focus on the critical priorities including demand, infrastructure and standards,” the alliance states.

Air Liquide, a founding member of the Hydrogen Council, has over 60 years of expertise driving the industry’s upskilling and scaling up.

The group works across the complete hydrogen value chain, including low-carbon and renewable production, liquefaction, storage and distribution.

Air Liquide is focused on implementing strategic, large-scale projects in key markets to accelerate the decarbonisation of industry and mobility.

“It is a great honour to step into the role of co-chair at this decisive moment for the Hydrogen Council and the industry. In a world defined by instability and fragmentation, I am convinced that industry-led, united coalitions like ours can truly make a difference.

“I am looking forward to working together with this great collective of 140 member companies to unlock hydrogen’s full potential as a core pillar of the global energy transition,” Jackow comments.

“Serving as co-chair of the Hydrogen Council has been a privilege. Over the past two-and-a-half years, I’ve seen how powerful this CEO-led coalition can be when it speaks with one clear voice. Together, we put hydrogen firmly on the global agenda – building confidence among policymakers and investors and moving real projects into delivery,” Lamba says.

“What has stood out most is the level of collaboration across companies and governments. As a founding member, Linde has seen firsthand how this unity can turn ambition into real progress. There is still work ahead to unlock demand, but I am confident the Council and its members will continue driving the impact needed as the industry enters its next phase of scale,” Lamba adds.

“On behalf of the council, I’d like to thank Sanjiv Lamba and his team at Linde for their dedication and contribution to our shared mission. We warmly welcome François Jackow as the new co-chair, and we look forward to working together as we enter this next phase of hydrogen build-out,” Chang says.

“Together with François and all our members, I am confident we will drive tangible progress – working closely with governments to enable effective policy frameworks and unlock the full potential of a broader hydrogen economy,” Chang adds.

The leadership change took place at the Hydrogen Council’s CEO Summit in Seoul, South Korea, this week.

More than 200 CEOs and senior executives from the world’s leading businesses and investors in hydrogen have gathered in South Korea to align on action needed to accelerate hydrogen deployment and unlock commercial-scale demand by 2030.