Business

Gerard Abraham has been appointed president of the Symyx Tools business unit of Symyx Technologies. He previously held a number of senior positions at Thermo Fisher Scientific, including president of its process systems and process instruments divisions. Symyx Technologies provides software, automated workflows, and services for improving R&D productivity.

Rick Beitel has become vice president of global sales of performance specialties for Chemtura, which has its headquarters in Middlebury, Conn. The company has also promoted Janet Chetland to the post of vice president of global high-performance industries.

Stephen P. Briggs has been named vice president for global markets for TyraTech, a producer of natural pesticide products. He will lead the sales and marketing organization and the strategic development of markets for the company's new class of nontoxic insecticides and antiparasitics. Before joining TyraTech, he was director of BASF's specialty products department.

James Davidson has been appointed chief operating officer of Cambridge Major Laboratories (CML). Previously, he was vice president of science and technology within the pharmaceutical sciences division of Pfizer. Ben Pothast has been named chief financial officer of CML. Prior to joining CML, he was vice president of planning and analysis for Ovation Pharmaceuticals. Specializing in chemical process development and advanced multistep organic synthesis, CML is a service-based chemistry outsourcing partner to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, producing pharmaceutical intermediates, APIs, and other fine organic chemicals.

Felix Goerth has been promoted to global business manager for inorganic specialties for life sciences at BASF, which he joined in 2000. He will be based in Evans City, Pa. The company offers a broad line of inorganic specialties with a focus on high-value chemical reagents for life sciences and other high-tech industrial applications.

Daniel Kaufman has been appointed senior director of global marketing for International Specialty Products' performance chemicals business. He will be responsible for driving profitability initiatives and building market capabilities while expanding and accelerating a worldwide growth plan.

Alex Kiselyov has joined DeCode Chemistry as its president. He will be based in the company's Woodridge, Ill., research facility and will oversee all of DeCode Chemistry's business and scientific operations. Kiselyov comes from ChemDiv, where he served as executive vice president of R&D.

Ingo Kovar has been promoted to president and chief executive officer of Wacker Chemical from vice president of the elastomers business unit. He succeeds Dirk Funke, whose new role has not yet been announced. Levi J. Cottington IV, currently business director for silicone rubber, will step into the position vacated by Kovar. The Adrian, Mich.-based company, an arm of Germany's Wacker Chemie, is a producer of silicones, polymers, fine chemicals, and silicon-wafer-polishing slurries.

David LeBlanc has been appointed president of Air Liquide Electronics U.S. (ALEUS), based in Dallas. A 24-year veteran of Air Liquide, LeBlanc was most recently vice president of process industries for Air Liquide Canada. Kurt Carlsen, who has also been with Air Liquide for 24 years, has been named director of strategic supply chain management for ALEUS. The firm provides pure gases, liquids, and advanced molecules used in the fabrication of silicon chips, as well as specialized equipment and related gas and chemical management services.

Sandra Beach Lin has been named president of Ticona, the engineering polymers business of Celanese. She has also been appointed executive vice president of Celanese. She succeeds Lyndon Cole, who is retiring. Most recently, Lin served as group vice president of specialty materials and converting at Avery Dennison.

Mark McDonald has been appointed to the position of vice president of sales and marketing for Chiral Technologies. Previously, he was president and chief executive officer of CombiSep, a manufacturer of capillary electrophoresis separation systems for life sciences applications.??Chiral Technologies is a West Chester, Pa.-based supplier of chiral chromatography products.

Robert Walsh has been named president of LS9, a San Carlos, Calif.-based start-up company aimed at producing biobased fuels. Walsh comes from Royal Dutch Shell, where he worked for 26 years. Fernando Valle has joined LS9 as the senior director of metabolic engineering. Valle had been director of metabolic engineering and a staff scientist at Genencor.

Michael A. Wolfe has joined the sales team of North Chicago, Ill.-based EMCO Chemical Distributors. His responsibilities include sales, technical service, and logistics management of EMCO's business portfolio consisting of industrial, specialty, and fine chemicals along with custom packaging and waste services. Wolfe will be located in Cleveland.