Responsible Chemistry

Michael Lefenfeld is President and Chief Executive Officer at Hexion Inc. He is also Chairman of the Board of Directors of Hexion Inc. and serves as a member of the Board of Managers for ASP Resins Holdings LP. Michael joined Hexion in January 2023. Prior to joining Hexion and beginning in 2018, Michael served as President and CEO of Cyanco International, where he led the world's largest manufacturer of gold and silver extraction materials, while driving the effort to make recovery safer and more efficient. From 2007 to 2017, he was President and CEO of SIGNa Chemistry, a global chemical manufacturer of reactive metal materials serving oil & gas recovery, petrochemical refining, alternative energy and chemical processing industries. Michael also founded Alkami Consulting Group, a technology investment advisory group, and Blood Gas Diagnostics, a medical device technology growth company. With a unique combination of executive, operational and entrepreneurial experience, Michael holds more than 100 patents and patents pending that are intended to collectively address some of the world's most pressing environmental and sustainable product-related challenges. A serial entrepreneur, he has been named a "Young Global Leader" by the World Economic Forum in 2016, while SIGNa was recognized with the EPA's Presidential Green Chemistry Award under his leadership. Michael earned a Master of Philosophy and Master of Science in Chemistry from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis.

Steve Banick serves as Vice President, Global Resins. Steve has held multiple Research and Development and commercial leadership positions since joining Hexion in 1995. During his 29-year tenure at Hexion, he has held progressively broader commercial roles both in the U.S. and in Europe. Most recently, he served as North American Business Director – Plywood and LVL and spent three years as the Business Director for Hexion’s European Forest Products business. Steve earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Economics from the University of Oregon.

Mark Bidstrup serves as Hexion's Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since May 2022. Prior to his current position Mark served as Hexion’s Senior Vice President and Treasurer since 2016. Mark previously served as Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer for Hexion’s Epoxy, Phenolics and Coatings Resins Division, a position he has held since 2009. With more than 25 years of finance experience, Mr. Bidstrup previously held senior finance roles for Borden Chemical Inc. and Borden Foods Corporation, as well as serving as an auditor for Price Waterhouse. Mr. Bidstrup earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from The Ohio State University.

Burt Capel currently serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer. In this role, Burt spearheads Hexion’s commercial growth strategy, advocates for the successful market launch of new products, and cultivates valuable commercial partnerships. With nearly three decades of experience in the chemical materials and plastics industry, Burt brings a wealth of expertise to his position. Prior to joining Hexion, he held various key roles at Eastman Chemical Company, culminating in his position as President of Fibers based in Zurich, Switzerland. Burt's contributions to the Specialty Plastics Business and his pivotal role in launching new products underscore his dynamic impact throughout his tenure at Eastman. His professional journey began at Exxon Chemical then to GE Plastics, where he assumed diverse chemical and various commercial leadership roles. Known for his ability to build high-performing teams, Burt prioritizes cultivating a culture centered around growth, analysis, and innovation. His leadership philosophy emphasizes not only achieving strategic goals but also fostering a positive and collaborative workplace. Burt holds a Bachelor of Science degree from The University of Alabama and a Master of Business Administration from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Kate Carney is Vice President, Business Initiatives and Project Management at Hexion. In this role, she works closely with the Office of the CEO to facilitate prioritization and management of key corporate initiatives, implement operational improvements, and enable collaboration and integration throughout all business units. Prior to this role, Kate served as Chief of Staff and strategic / operational advisor for several private equity-backed companies in the chemical, manufacturing and technology sectors. Her work has focused on companies undergoing rapid growth or transformational phases, including reorganizations, acquisitions, divestitures, and start-ups. She regularly serves as a key member of the leadership team guiding corporate restructures, workflow transformations and post-acquisition integrations. Kate earned her Master of Business Administration from Northeastern University and a Bachelors in Management Science from State University of New York, College at Geneseo.

Dave Collins is the Senior Vice President of the Global Formaldehyde business for Hexion. He is a 30-plus year tenured Hexion associate whose career started in engineering. His previous roles have included serving as the project manager for a greenfield amino resin facility and a fence line formaldehyde facility. In addition, he managed several other notable capacity expansions, including a phenolic resin reactor at an existing site. He then transitioned into the role of North America Adhesive’s supply chain manager and implemented Hexion’s first Sales and Operating Planning process. His next assignment was to lead the North American—and then global—Adhesive Procurement team. For more than the past ten years, Dave has led the Global Formaldehyde business. Prior to his tenure with Hexion, he served as an Engineering Manager and Project Manager for Reichhold Chemicals. Dave earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Clemson University. He is Engineer-in-Training (EIT) certified, and he has a master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Tennessee in Finance.

Nathan Fisher is Executive Vice President and Chief Procurement Officer at Hexion Inc. Nathan has been Executive Vice President, Global Procurement of the company since the formation of its predecessor, Hexion Specialty Chemicals (later to become Momentive Specialty Chemicals), in 2005. His responsibilities include the worldwide procurement of all raw materials, energy, indirect materials and services. Earlier, he served as Vice President, Global Sourcing for legacy company Borden Chemical. Nathan previously worked in Procurement Management and Supply Chain at Eastman Chemical, and as an industrial engineer at Texas Instruments. He earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Tennessee Technological University and a master’s degree in business administration from East Tennessee State University.

Jeroen Jansema serves as Vice President and General Manager, Performance Materials. Jeroen is an accomplished global business leader with over 25 years of extensive experience driving profitable growth and value with specialty products and services in industrial market segments. During his 14-year tenure at Hexion, he has held progressively broader commercial roles both in the U.S. and in Europe. Most recently, he served as Global Business Director for the Versatic ™ Acids and Derivatives Business. Prior to Hexion, Jeroen worked in a broad range of international marketing and commercial leadership roles at AkzoNobel in both the Architectural Coatings business and the Automotive Refinish business. Jeroen earned a master’s degree in industrial engineering and management from Twente University, Enschede the Netherlands.

Sandy Kowaleski joined Hexion in 2024 as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Sandy has a wealth of experience in global operations, spanning 20 years in various industries. She has achieved remarkable outcomes in enhancing operational excellence, pricing, and supply chain capabilities, spearheading sustainability initiatives, and fostering a culture of safety, quality and performance among associates. Sandy is adept at delivering results in challenging and dynamic business environments. Sandy joins Hexion from Stanley Black & Decker, where she served as Vice President of Outdoor Operations. She managed global manufacturing operations with a focus on safety, quality, cost, talent, process innovation and new product launches. Before that, Sandy held operational leadership positions at Momentive, BASF, and Minerals Technologies where she generated significant improvements in operating efficiency, cost savings and earnings. Sandy earned her Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from The Ohio State University.

Ronald Kunsa is Vice President, Manufacturing and Engineering at Hexion Inc. Ron joined Shell Chemical in 1988 working in the Gulf of Mexico deep water oilfield sector before transferring to the Shell Norco Manufacturing Complex Louisiana Operations in 1991. Ron has held numerous leadership and management roles and positions in Projects, Turnaround execution, Operations, Maintenance and Technology throughout his career with Shell and Resolution Performance Products, which were predecessor companies to Hexion Inc. Ron held numerous positions in Hexion’s Epoxy, Phenolics and Coatings Division and the Oilfield Technology Group. From 2017 through 2019, Ron served as Vice President, Environmental Health and Safety, Americas and Australia/New Zealand before returning to Manufacturing and his current role. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Geology from Thiel College in Greenville, Pa.

Ryan J. Preston joined Hexion in 2024 as Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer. He has over 20 years of experience as a commercial attorney, collaborating with multi-national corporations, middle market businesses, and VC-backed portfolio companies. He has successfully structured numerous critical and transformative commercial relationships and negotiated and drafted complex commercial agreements for his clients, covering a wide range of industries and sectors. Previous clients include companies like Cyanco Company, Inc., Expedia, Amazon, Allegheny Energy and Vital Farms. Ryan J. Preston holds a Juris Doctorate from Washington and Lee University School of Law and a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science from Southern Methodist University. He has been recognized by Chambers USA for Technology: Outsourcing and selected as “Lawyer of the Year” for 2024 in Privacy and Data Security Law by The Best Lawyers in America®.

Bhaskar ramani is the Chief Information Officer at Hexion Inc. He has over 24 years of experience with Information Technology in the Transportation, Energy and Aviation businesses at General Electric. More recently he was the CIO at LM Wind Power driving a digital transformation agenda as well as an IoT based manufacturing transition. He is a global technology professional, and has held CTO, CIO, Global offshore center, and transformation roles based out of India, South Africa, Singapore, and the US over his career. He holds a masters with a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from IMDR, Pune, and a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Electronics & Communication from Bangalore University. “ He is a mentor on the Board for Walton Robotics, supporting the school with their FIRST robotics team, and enjoys reading, technology, and the outdoors in his spare time.

Sheila Rutt has spent more than 25 years in leadership roles with various global organizations including Culligan International, RR Donnelly and Diebold Nixdorf Incorporated. With 18 years of CHRO experience and more than 25 years of experience in Human Resources, Sheila is an accomplished Global HR Business Executive with a successful track record building capable and engaged teams who deliver strong business outcomes during periods of rapid growth. Joining in July of 2023 as Hexion’s Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, Rutt leads talent acquisition, talent management, total rewards, leadership development, associate relations, HRIS, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts. With a deep background in talent management and associate engagement, she provides seasoned leadership that supports our mission and vision, advances our diversity and inclusion efforts, and fosters a culture that positively impacts our associates.

Zeru Tekie joined Hexion in 2023 as the Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer. He leads Hexion’s science and technology innovation portfolio, technical services capabilities and continuous improvement initiatives with an emphasis on operational excellence and sustainability. Before joining Hexion, he served as Vice President of Technology, Advanced Performance Materials for Chemours and Corporate R&D Director for 3M. With more than 25 years of experience in the chemical industry, Tekie has a strong track record of delivering business value through technology innovation, asset optimization, cost productivity, capital effectiveness and continuous improvement programs. Tekie holds a Doctor of Philosophy and a Master of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh and a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia.