Business

Chris Fagouri has joined Thiele Kaolin as its market development manager. In this newly created position, Fagouri will lead Thiele’s efforts in market diversification. He has held positions in research and development, technical sales, and global marketing management in the adhesives, elastomers, and building and construction industries. With headquarters in Sandersville, Ga., Thiele Kaolin produces processed kaolin clay and kaolin coating and filler pigments.

Bob Mayer has been appointed chairman of the board of directors and chief executive officer of Mountain View, Calif.-based Cobalt Technologies. He replaces John Hamer of Burrill & Co. as chairman and Rick Wilson as CEO. Most recently, Mayer was CEO of Genencor International, a global industrial enzyme company. Cobalt Technologies is commercializing the production of biobased n-butyl alcohol as a renewable chemical and fuel.

Ewelina Pitusiak has joined the Global Personal Care business of AkzoNobel Surface Chemistry as its technical service skin care manager. Pitusiak leads the skin care technical team in its support of sales and strategic initiatives for skin care and sun care products. She had been a group leader at Coty in Morris Plains, N.J. Christl Kagiyama has joined the business as project leader within the skin and sun care technical service team. Kagiyama had been a senior chemist with L’Oréal USA’s Maybelline Foundation Laboratory in Clark, N.J. Two recent graduates have also joined the company: Devon Cocuzza has become a technical service chemist, responsible for synthesis and evaluation of new polymeric ingredients in personal care applications, and Mulang Chen has become a marketing specialist for the Global Personal Care business under AkzoNobel’s Global Management Trainee Program. All four employees are based in Bridgewater, N.J.

Gregory E. Poling has been elected president and chief operating officer of W.R. Grace. Previously, he served as president of Grace Davison, Grace’s largest operating segment. Fred E. Festa, who had been president of the company, remains as its chairman and CEO.

Peter A. Smith has been named CEO of Voltaix. Most recently, Smith was vice president of corporate strategy for Cooper Bussmann, a division of Cooper Industries, in St. Louis. Smith succeeds Mark K. Fine, who has served as the company’s interim CEO since January 2010. Fine will become president of Voltaix, succeeding John P. de Neufville, who remains as the company’s chief scientist overseeing chemical research and end-use applications development. Voltaix produces diborane, germane, trisilane, and trimethylboron—specialty chemicals that enhance the performance and manufacturability of semiconductors and photovoltaics.

Mark Tilley will become vice president for business development at Fusion UV Systems. Before joining the company, Tilley was president and CEO of Unidym, a California-based company that develops electronic applications of carbon-nanotube-based inks and films. With headquarters in Gaithersburg, Md., Fusion UV Systems is a worldwide supplier of ultraviolet curing systems and UV-based process solutions.

Michael S. White has been appointed senior vice president of operations for TPC Group. Most recently, White was senior vice president of operations for SunCoke Energy. Based in Houston, TPC manufactures products derived from niche petrochemical raw materials such as C₄ hydrocarbons.