Gelest Names Ken Gayer as CEO
Chemicals industry veteran to lead specialty materials supplier
Gelest, s US specialist in customised organosilicon compounds, metal-organic compounds, and silicone materials, has appointed Ken Gayer as CEO.
Gayer brings more than 20 years of chemical industry leadership experience to his new role at Gelest.
Most recently, Gayer served as business president of Honeywell Specialty Products of Honeywell International. Prior to this, he had a long tenure at Honeywell in a variety of leadership positions including VP and general manager at Honeywell Fluorine Products; VP of procurement, customer service, trade compliance, transportation and logistics; and global business drector of foam and industrial products.
Prior to Honeywell, Gayer held leadership roles at McKinsey & Company and the Polaroid Corporation, and served as a Lieutenant in the United States Navy Nuclear Submarine Force.
He holds an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management, a Masters in Chemical Engineering from MIT, and a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
Barry Arkles, who founded Gelest in 1991, will remain with Gelest as CTO and chairman of the board of directors. "We enthusiastically welcome Ken to Gelest," said Arkles. "Ken has extensive leadership experience in our field, and he has a proven track record of driving excellence across commercial and operations functions. His leadership will serve Gelest well in its next phase of growth."
"We see many opportunities for Gelest to continue to build on its exceptional technology and client service capabilities and to partner with its customers to find new ways to address their most pressing needs," said Andre Moura, Managing Director at New Mountain Capital, which invested in Gelest in March 2017. "We are confident in Ken's ability to grow Gelest, and we see a bright future for all of Gelest's stakeholders."
"Gelest is an established leader in silane, silicone and metal-organic chemistries, with a more than 25-year legacy of innovation and deep customer partnerships," Gayer said. "I am excited about this opportunity, and I look forward to working closely with our employees, customers, suppliers and communities in the years to come."
In his role as CEO, Gayer will oversee Gelest's operations across its product portfolio and end markets. He will be based at Gelest's corporate headquarters in Morrisville, Pennsylvania.
