GrafTech Announces Executive Management Changes
10/01/2014 - GrafTech International Ltd. announced several executive management changes that are part of its ongoing initiative to create a more simplified and efficient organizational structure and foster innovation.
The changes include redefining and eliminating certain management roles to decentralize the management and overhead structure and drive greater accountability and enhanced customer focus.
Darrell Blair, vice president – global sales, for the graphite electrode business, will become president of the Industrial Materials segment. Mr. Blair joined the company in 1980 at its facility in Columbia, Tenn. His extensive commercial, operations, and customer technical service experience includes international assignments in Puerto Rico, Mexico, Singapore, Hong Kong, and, for the past eleven years, Switzerland.
His appointment follows the retirement of Dr. Pieter Barnard, the segment’s current president, effective 1 November 2014, after a 42-year career spanning three continents and a multitude of roles.
Dr. Julian Norley, vice president – corporate research and development, has been appointed to lead the newly established Technology and Innovation Center, which will be focused on commercializing advanced technologies in carbon and graphite material science and providing greater emphasis on driving innovation to support new product development. Dr. Norley joined GrafTech in 1997 and has been instrumental in the company’s penetration of high growth markets. Dr. Norley and his group have received five R&D 100 awards and have won and executed over US$25 million in federal and state grants in support of his pioneering work. He personally holds 22 U.S. patents.
Hermanus Pretorius, president of the company’s Seadrift Coke LLP subsidiary, will retire effective 1 November 2014. Mr. Pretorius started his GrafTech career at the Meyerton, South Africa facility where he served as managing director until his transfer to Europe in 1998 as the head of graphite electrode operations. Prior to his current role, Mr. Pretorius was the president of GrafTech’s Engineered Solutions segment.
GrafTech chief executive officer, Joel Hawthorne, commented, “We thank Pieter for his 42 years of service and Maans for his 37 years with the company. They have been important and valued team members and we appreciate their outstanding contributions to GrafTech.”
Mr. Hawthorne continued, “The changes that we are making will further streamline our organization, enabling better and faster decision-making capabilities and increased accountability. These changes will also enhance our innovation and allow us to increase our focus on our valued customers. We expect these actions to strengthen our competitive position and improve our ability to restore and grow shareholder value.”
Darrell Blair, vice president – global sales, for the graphite electrode business, will become president of the Industrial Materials segment. Mr. Blair joined the company in 1980 at its facility in Columbia, Tenn. His extensive commercial, operations, and customer technical service experience includes international assignments in Puerto Rico, Mexico, Singapore, Hong Kong, and, for the past eleven years, Switzerland.
His appointment follows the retirement of Dr. Pieter Barnard, the segment’s current president, effective 1 November 2014, after a 42-year career spanning three continents and a multitude of roles.
Dr. Julian Norley, vice president – corporate research and development, has been appointed to lead the newly established Technology and Innovation Center, which will be focused on commercializing advanced technologies in carbon and graphite material science and providing greater emphasis on driving innovation to support new product development. Dr. Norley joined GrafTech in 1997 and has been instrumental in the company’s penetration of high growth markets. Dr. Norley and his group have received five R&D 100 awards and have won and executed over US$25 million in federal and state grants in support of his pioneering work. He personally holds 22 U.S. patents.
Hermanus Pretorius, president of the company’s Seadrift Coke LLP subsidiary, will retire effective 1 November 2014. Mr. Pretorius started his GrafTech career at the Meyerton, South Africa facility where he served as managing director until his transfer to Europe in 1998 as the head of graphite electrode operations. Prior to his current role, Mr. Pretorius was the president of GrafTech’s Engineered Solutions segment.
GrafTech chief executive officer, Joel Hawthorne, commented, “We thank Pieter for his 42 years of service and Maans for his 37 years with the company. They have been important and valued team members and we appreciate their outstanding contributions to GrafTech.”
Mr. Hawthorne continued, “The changes that we are making will further streamline our organization, enabling better and faster decision-making capabilities and increased accountability. These changes will also enhance our innovation and allow us to increase our focus on our valued customers. We expect these actions to strengthen our competitive position and improve our ability to restore and grow shareholder value.”
