Personalities
Albemarle names new Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer
Albemarle Corporation, a leader in the global specialty chemicals industry, today announced that current Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Corporate & Government Affairs and Corporate Secretary Karen G. Narwold has been promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of the company, effective May 13, 2016
As Chief Administrative Officer, Narwold will lead the company’s legal, government and regulatory affairs, IT, communications and human resources groups.
Narwold joined Albemarle in September 2010, as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary and has assumed increasing responsibilities during her time with the company, including time spent managing Corporate Development and Strategy and Health, Safety and Environmental Management. Narwold has over 25 years of legal, management and business experience with global industrial and chemical companies, including previous positions at GrafTech International Ltd., a global graphite and carbon manufacturer and former subsidiary of Union Carbide, and Barzel Industries, a North American steel processor and distributor.
“Karen works with tireless pursuit of excellence in all that she does,” said Luke Kissam, president and CEO. “She shows infallible judgment and analytical and problem-solving skills. Throughout her career, she has proven that even in the most challenging situations, she will succeed and enable the others around her to be successful. I look forward to her contributions in this expanded leadership role,” Kissam added.
Albemarle Corporation, headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is a premier specialty chemicals company with leading positions in attractive end markets around the world. With a broad customer reach and diverse end markets, Albemarle develops, manufactures and markets technologically advanced and high value added products, including lithium and lithium compounds, bromine and bromine derivatives, catalysts and surface treatment chemistries used in a wide range of applications including consumer electronics, flame retardants, metal processing, plastics, contemporary and alternative transportation vehicles, refining, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, construction and custom chemistry services. Albemarle is focused on delivering differentiated, performance-based technologies that deliver innovative and sustainable solutions to its customers. The Company employs approximately 6900 people and serves customers in approximately 100 countries. www.albemarle.com
David Roberts elected to Appvion Board of Directors
Roberts, 68, is executive chairman of Carlisle Companies Incorporated, a diversified manufacturing company based in Charlotte, North Carolina. He served as chairman and chief executive officer of Carlisle from 2007 to 2015.
Prior to joining Carlisle, Roberts served as chairman, president and chief executive officer of Graco Inc., a Minneapolis, Minnesota-based company that designs, manufactures and markets systems and equipment to move, measure, control, dispense and spray fluid and powder materials for industrial and commercial applications. He worked for Graco from 2001 to 2007.
Prior to joining Graco, Roberts held various engineering, manufacturing, plant management and general management positions in a variety of industries including automotive, office equipment, printing and management services.
Roberts has served as a director of Carlisle Companies since 2007; a director of Franklin Electric Company, Inc. since 2003; and a director of SPX Corporation since 2015. He served as a director of Graco Inc. from 2001 until 2007; a director of Arctic Cat Inc. from 2006 until 2009; a director of ADC Telecommunications, Inc. from 2008 until 2010; and a director of Polypore International from 2011 until 2015.
Roberts earned a master’s degree in business administration from Indiana University and a bachelor’s degree from Purdue University.
“Dave has extraordinary manufacturing management experience and a distinguished history of service as a director for a diverse group of public companies,” said Kevin Gilligan, Appvion’s chief executive officer. “Dave is a great fit for our board of directors and we welcome his expert knowledge and perspectives as we continue to implement our strategy for business growth.”
Roberts joins Steve Carter, retired executive vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer of Woodward, Inc.; Terry Murphy, retired executive vice president and chief financial officer of A.O. Smith Corporation; Kathi Seifert, retired executive vice president of Kimberly-Clark Corporation; Mark Suwyn, president of Marsuw, LLC, chairman of WorkplaceDynamics LLC, and retired chairman of NewPage Corporation; and George Wurtz, retired chairman of Soundview Paper Company LLC, as independent directors. Gilligan serves as the only internal director on the Appvion board.
Appvion creates product solutions through its development and use of coating formulations and applications. The Company produces thermal, carbonless, security, inkjet, digital specialty and coloured papers. Appvion, headquartered in Appleton, Wisconsin, has manufacturing operations in Wisconsin, Ohio and Pennsylvania, employs approximately 1400 people and is 100 percent employee-owned.
Levi Strauss names new President of Levi Strauss Americas
Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&Co.) announced that Roy Bagattini will assume the role of executive vice president and president of Levi Strauss Americas, effective June 1, 2016.
In his new post, Bagattini will be responsible for leading the company’s largest commercial operations, spanning all brands and channels across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil and the balance of Latin America.
Bagattini will continue to report to President and CEO Chip Bergh.
Bagattini previously served as executive vice president and president of the company’s Asia, Middle East and Africa operations. Under his leadership, the region has consistently delivered outsized growth, strengthened its customer relationships and attracted blue-‐chip talent.
Bagattini joined LS&Co. in 2013 with more than two decades of experience as a senior leader at global consumer goods and beverage companies. He led turnarounds at several companies as well as drove exponential growth in emerging markets. He has lived and worked all over the world, including the U.S., Europe and Asia. Prior to joining LS&Co., Bagattini was senior vice president for Asia and Africa at Carlsberg, where he was responsible for the group’s Asia strategy and was credited with the company’s significant growth in that region.
“Roy is a proven leader, a global citizen and an inspiring manager who excels at execution. During his time at LS&Co., he has consistently driven significant growth and turned around underperforming parts of our business,” said Chip Bergh, president and CEO. “As we focus on accelerating profitable growth, we must reach our full potential in our biggest and most important region. Roy’s proven track record gives me great confidence, that with his leadership, we will unlock the company’s full potential in our largest market.”
Levi Strauss & Co. is one of the world’s largest brand-‐name apparel companies and a global leader in jeanswear. The company designs and markets jeans, casual wear and related accessories for men, women and children under the Levi’s®, Dockers®, Signature by Levi Strauss & Co.™, and Denizen® brands. Its products are sold in more than 110 countries worldwide through a combination of chain retailers, department stores, online sites, and a global footprint of approximately 2,800 retail stores and shop-‐in-‐shops. Levi Strauss & Co.’s reported fiscal 2015 net revenues were USD 4.5 billion.
Coats appoints a new Non-Executive Director
Coats, the world’s leading industrial thread manufacturer and a major player in the Americas textile crafts market, announces that Frances Philip is to join the Coats Group plc Board as a Non-Executive Director, effective 1 October 2016. Fran has over 30 years of apparel merchandising, product innovation and branding experience having spent the majority of her career at LL Bean, the US retailer.
Fran is currently a Non-Executive Director of a number of US companies including Vera Bradley, the accessories brand; Totes Isotoner, the accessories manufacturer; Pacific Sunwear of California, the sportswear and fashion retailer; and Regent Holdings, a home décor designer and importer.
Mike Clasper, Chairman, Coats, said: ‘Fran’s extensive experience in the US apparel industry and relationships with major retailers and brands will support the continued growth in our core Apparel and Footwear business. She has a proven ability of understanding customer requirements, driving innovation and commercialising products; skills which will support the delivery of our goal of becoming the leading value added partner to the apparel, footwear and accessories industries, as well as supporting new product development in our Speciality business.’
Fran started her career as a Market Research Analyst at Star Market, the US grocery chain. She joined LL Bean in 1994 as Director of Product Development, Home Furnishings and went on to hold a number of roles including Vice President, Affiliated Brands, before becoming Chief Merchandising Officer in 2002 until she retired in 2011.
Fran also co-owns Sea Bags, a small business in Maine, US, which makes bags and other small accessories from recycled sails. Much of her focus is mentoring its product designers.
Fran has a degree in English and Sociology from Bowdoin College, Maine, and has an MBA from Harvard University.
Whaley Named AATCC’s Young Entrepreneur of the Year
Patrick Whaley, founder and Chief Executive Officer of TITIN, LLC, is the recipient of the AATCC Young Entrepreneur Award. Whaley is recognized for developing a line of fitted, weighted compression athletic apparel that creates an improved workout experience in many workout disciplines. This apparel has been used therapeutically and professionally to build strength, endurance, and speed.
Whaley had an idea about merging clothing with weights to build muscle and strength. The weighted vests currently used to build muscle were mostly clumsy and uncomfortable, and a majority of the weight was placed on the shoulders, creating poor posture and slouching. He taught himself to sew using YouTube, and as an undergraduate in Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech, his sketched ideas led to prototypes of an athletic shirt with pockets stitched over major muscles of the torso and arms; in these pockets, hydro-gel packs were inserted as weights. The weight distribution allowed for a lighter feel and ease-of-movement.
In 2010, he entered his weighted shirt system into Georgia Tech’s InVenture Prize Competition, where he won not only First Place, but also the People’s Choice Award. In 2011, his product won Most Bankable Award at the Georgia Tech Business Plan Competition and at the Rice University’s Business Plan Competition. Also in 2011, he won Outstanding Product Award from Global Venture Labs. By 2012, he had patented and trademarked his product, now known as TITIN, and during this year, won the Under Armour Innovation Challenge. In 2014, Whaley appeared on the Shark Tank television program, and received a lucrative offer from Daymond John, entrepreneur and creator of FUBU clothing company. Today, Whaley has athletes and teams of the NCAA, NFL, NBA, MLB, and PGA wearing his products. TITIN Tech has been used by actors in the movie, Expendable 3, and by the Netherlands Olympic Skating team.
Besides researching and developing TITIN Tech apparel, and determining its athletic and therapeutic uses, Whaley has created a business development plan, negotiated multi-million dollar capital investments, and commercialized this apparel. He led product licensing negotiations, marketing, and product development research, and was awarded multiple US and international patents and trademarks for TITIN Tech apparel. Whaley was presented with the Young Entrepreneur Award at the AATCC International Conference in Williamsburg, Virginia (USA).
The Young Entrepreneur Award: This award recognizes young entrepreneurs (less than 40 years of age) operating in the broader textile industry. An entrepreneur is defined as a person who has possession of a new enterprise, venture, or idea, and assumes significant accountability for the inherent risks and outcomes of the creation. For more information about the Young Entrepreneur Award, as well as a list of past recipients, visit the AATCC website.
AATCC, the Association of Textile, Apparel & Materials Professionals, is the world’s leading not-for-profit association serving textile professionals since 1921. AATCC, headquartered in Research Triangle Park, N.C., USA, provides test method development, quality control materials, and professional networking for members in about 50 countries throughout the world.