Kriti Mehrotra
As an Olaide Sadiq-directed documentary delving deep into the June 14, 2017, Grenfell Tower fire that resulted in the loss of 72 lives, Netflix’s ‘Grenfell: Uncovered’ is unlike any other. That’s because it carefully shines a light upon how cladding panels made of aluminum and polyethylene, combined with neglect and lack of proper regulations, led to the tragic incident. Therefore, of course, there’s significant mention of the manufacturing company of the former material Alcoa/Arconic and its Technical Manager, Claude Wehrle, throughout this original.
Claude Wehrle Served at Alcoa For Nearly Two Decades
It was back in 1996 that French native Claude Wehrle kickstarted his career as a Lightweight Designer at Rinaldi Structal, 2 years after earning his Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering. The truth is, not much is known about his background or upbringing. Yet, we do know he proudly attended the University of Upper Alsace in Mulhouse upon graduating from high school. He then delved deep into the corporate world and worked hard to prove his mettle at every step of the way, which is how he landed a spot at Alcoa Architectural Products in 2003.
Alcoa (or the Aluminum Company of America) is essentially the parent company of Arconic because the core organization split in two in late 2016 to form Alcoa Inc. as well as Arconic Inc. Therefore, although Claude served as a Technical Manager at Alcoa from 2003 to 2018 and then as a Certification Manager at Arconic until 2020, his responsibilities were basically the same. It included not only obtaining fire safety certification for all their cladding products but also taking the steps necessary to ensure that it can be granted without any noteworthy issues.
However, as per the inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire, which had recently been wrapped in Arconic’s cladding in the name of renovation, Claude was “deliberately dishonest” to sell the product. This inquiry’s report was released in 2024, and it elucidated their accusation with the fact that he had dismissed a failed fire test in 2005 as a “rogue result” as well as failed to even mention it to the certifying bodies. This included the third-party British Board of Agreement (BBA) during their dealings. Then, the report also detailed how 7 years before the tragedy, he had sent an e-mail to colleagues, telling them to keep all poor fire test results to themselves as it was “VERY CONFIDENTIAL!!!!!”
Claude Wehrle Denies Any Responsibility in the Grenfell Fire
When the public inquiry into the June 2017 incident in West London, England, was ongoing, Claude refused to testify despite being asked, yet he did speak up when the report was published. This active volunteer firefighter spoke with BBC News in September 2024 and asserted that while the 72 deaths were “a tragedy,” he does not bear any personal responsibility because he was “not the one making decisions” about the sales of the cladding panels. As if that’s not enough, just a month prior, he had told The Times he feels “more than sadness” for those who lost loved ones before suddenly absolving himself from blame. He said, “On the one hand, if you say, ‘sadness for the families,’ it means I should have a kind of responsibility. And I am 100% sure not to have any responsibility in this.”
Claude Wehrle Currently Leads a Comfortable Life in Eastern France
Although there are conflicting statements regarding whether Claude was fired from Arconic or if he willingly chose to resign, we do know he parted ways with the organization in 2020. That’s when he went back to his roots and re-joined Rinaldi Structal, where he proudly served as a Deputy Technical Director before being promoted to Technical Director in April 2021. Yet, by the fall of 2023, he was ready for something new, so he evolved into a Key Account Manager in the department of Facades, Windows, and Insulating Glass at the vehicle-specialized chemical company, Sika.
Coming to Claude’s personal standing, he currently resides in a rather picturesque home in the historically wondrous region of Alsace, France, where he’s surrounded by loved ones. He actually prefers to keep his private experiences well away from the limelight for safety reasons. Yet, we do know he is a travel enthusiast who can often be found enjoying the sun, the beaches, or the mountains whenever he has the time. It’s also imperative to note that he has been a volunteer firefighter since 1992, and even served as a Captain/Deputy to the Commander at the SDIS-68 Haut-Rhin Station from 2018 to 2022.
Read More: David Badillo: Where is the Grenfell Tower Firefighter Now?
