H.B. Fuller Co. recently
announced that Steven Kenny will join the company as senior vice president,
EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa, and India), on Oct. 5, 2009, and Stephen
Ringsdore will join the company as vice president of Western Europe, on Sept.
1, 2009. Kenny will also serve as a member of H.B. Fuller’s executive
committee. The moves reflect H.B. Fuller’s commitment to profitable growth in
its established markets in Western Europe, while pursuing growth opportunities
and geographic expansion in the emerging markets of Eastern Europe, the Middle
East, Africa, and India.
Kenny, 48, has built an
extensive career in the adhesives industry, having spent 25 years with National
Starch and Chemical. Before leaving that company in 2008, he served as
corporate vice president and general manager for National Starch’s adhesives
division, Europe, Middle East, and Africa. In
that role, he led 900 employees in 15 countries, including operations in Poland, Russia,
Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. Kenny,
who spent his early career in sales and sales management positions with
National Starch, also served as divisional vice president and general manager
for the company’s Vinamul Polymers Division in North America; general manager
for Chile; and business group director for Bondmaster Adhesives in Europe,
Middle East, and Africa. He is currently based in Warwickshire,
UK, and serves as president
for the specialty packaging business of Pregis, a Deerfield,
IL-based global specialty packaging company. Kenny holds a masters degree in
economics from the University
of Edinburgh.
Ringsdore, 51, has 26 years of
adhesive industry experience, including 25 with National Starch and Chemical.
Since 2007, he has served as managing director, Industrial Adhesives, China, where he has overseen operations in China and Taiwan, driving sales growth and
significantly improved return on sales, and managing the company’s recent
integration with Henkel in this market. His other previous positions include:
regional sales director for National’s North American Adhesives Division;
business director of the pressure sensitive adhesives business; regional sales
director for the Eastern United States; regional sales director for the UK,
France and Ireland; and general manager of the UK. Ringsdore holds a bachelors
degree in economic history from Southampton
University.
For more information, visitwww.hbfuller.com.