Robert J. Kumpf, Ph.D., chief administrative officer of Bayer MaterialScience LLC, was recently named chairman of the Industrial Research Institute (IRI) board of directors.

“We’re excited to have Bob at the helm of IRI during this transformational period for R&D and innovation,” said Ed Bernstein, president of IRI. “Bob’s leadership skills and strategic thinking complement our future vision and will drive IRI to the next level.”

In addition to being chief administrative officer for Bayer MaterialScience LLC, Kumpf is also a member of the company’s North America Leadership Team with responsibility for Regional Business Support and Administration, as well as the Health, Safety, Environment organization; New Business; and Materials Characterization. In this role, Kumpf works to ensure the efficient and effective supply of all administration services, including the controlling and planning functions; procurement; organization and information systems; internal and external communications; and central innovation services.

He also is the leader of the Bayer Corp. Sustainability Community Council, which fosters sustainable development initiatives within the NAFTA region. Kumpf joined Bayer in 1988 as a research chemist. He currently holds 20 U.S. and European patents, and has published 21 articles in various scientific journals.

For more information, visitwww.iriweb.org.