As Chairman and CEO, AB is responsible for driving business and technology initiatives that grow the company while building upon its pioneering leadership in polysilicon technology. With his deep expertise in chemical manufacturing and global business and commercial leadership, AB leads the HSC team to enhance the company’s ability to provide customers around the globe with the hyper-pure polysilicon used in the semiconductor and solar energy industries.
AB was named COO of Hemlock Semiconductor Operations in September 2021 and became Chairman and CEO on January 1, 2022. He possesses strong strategic and financial acumen, combined with deep global experience as a C-suite executive in chemical manufacturing, and brings a diversified skill set in managing complex market portfolios and delivering against financial and operational metrics. During his 30-year career in global manufacturing, AB has been through mergers, acquisitions, integrations and divestitures, both as a finance leader and business unit head, where he grew revenue and expanded margins during times of significant change and disruption.
Before joining Hemlock Semiconductor, AB served as president and managing director of a series of Akzo Nobel and Nouryon’s major business units with revenues of up to $2.4 billion, 50 plant locations in multiple countries and more than 6,000 employees. Prior to the acquisition of Akzo Nobel’s Specialty Chemicals unit, which was rebranded as Nouryon, AB served as CEO of the global chemical conglomerate’s Marine and Protective Coatings Americas Unit, following a series of promotions from his previous positions as CFO and vice president of finance and operations.
AB was born in India, began his studies in Thailand and completed his accounting studies in the U.K. Early in his career, he joined Deloitte as an internal audit manager and shortly thereafter joined Courtaulds, a UK-based manufacturer of fabric, clothing, artificial fibers and chemicals, in a group finance role. When the company was acquired by Akzo Nobel in 1998, he quickly moved up the ranks of executive leadership, taking on positions with progressive responsibility for global management, finance and operations until the company’s specialty chemicals business was sold to The Carlyle Group in 2018 and rebranded as Nouryon. He continued as President and Managing Director, Global Surface Chemistry for Nouryon until departing at the end of 2019 to pursue consulting opportunities with several of the world’s leading private equity firms.
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