New York  - The US chemical concern DuPont announced Tuesday that it was elevating executive vice president Ellen Kullman to the position of president as of October 1 and chief executive officer effective January 1, 2009.

The 52-year-old Kullman, who has worked for DuPont since 1988, is to replace Charles O Holliday Jr, a 38-year veteran of the 206-year- old company based in Wilmington, Delaware. Holliday has been CEO from 1998.

Kullman, in her role as group vice president of the company's safety and protection unit from 2002 to 2006, helped increase revenues in the unit from 3.5 billion dollars to 5.5 billion dollars.

With DuPont's share price having risen 10 per cent in the past five years and profit more than triple in the same period the 60- year-old Holliday said that it was the right time for a transition to "talented leadership to advance the company forward." (dpa)