IISRP elects US executive as president

Cape Town, South Africa – The International Institute of Synthetic Rubber Producers (IISRP) has elected the president and CEO of East West Copolymers Gregory Nelson, as its president for the year 2015-2016.

The decision was made at the association’s 56th annual meeting in Cape Town on 23 April, and Nelson will succeed Abraham Brink of Karbochem, who now becomes the past-president international.

Nelson is the founder, chairman and CEO of East West Copolymer LLC. Prior to that he served as the CEO, president and director of Lion Copolymer, a producer of EPDM and SBR rubber for five years.

He also spent four years at Nalco as president of Nalco Europe and group president of Nalco’s equipment and services business.

Nelson, who has a BSc. in mechanical engineering from Cornell University, began his career at Exxon Chemical, where he held various senior management roles over nearly 20 years. He then joined Union Carbide, which was later acquired by Dow Chemical.

In addition to Nelson, who will also serve as president to the Americas Section, the other members elected to the institute executive committee for the year 2015-2016 are:

• Asia Pacific Section, Yoshimasa Fushimi of Zeon, president and Hendrik Lam of TSRC, Vice President.

• EMEA Section: Thierry Hombert of ExxonMobil, president and Ralf Irmert of Trinseo, Vice President.

• Americas Section: Peter Herzog of TSRC Dexco Polymers, vice president, and John Lyon of ExxonMobil was elected treasurer.

• Continuing to serve on the executive committee are Abraham Brink of Karbochem, past-president international, and James McGraw, IISRP’s managing director & CEO, assistant treasurer and secretary.