Amy Schumacher is the Chief Executive Officer of The Heritage Group, overseeing the company’s portfolio of more than 50 companies and 6,000 employees. She is also a member of its board of trustees. Amy has been part of The Heritage Group family of businesses since 2008, when she founded Monument Chemical — THG’s specialty chemicals business — and served as Monument’s President and CEO for eight years. In that role, she was responsible for growing Monument from a small, Indianapolis-based business into a global company with operations in Europe and the US. In 2016, Amy transitioned to President of The Heritage Group and was appointed CEO in 2020, marking the fourth generation of Fehsenfeld family leadership. She graduated from Purdue University with a B.A. in Education and B.S. in Civil Engineering and received her M.B.A. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She serves on the boards of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, Calumet Specialty Products and the Purdue Engineering Advisory Council. Amy enjoys spending her free time with her husband, Jim, and her two daughters.
Venki Chandrashekar is the President and Chief Executive Officer of AmSty. Mr. Chandrashekar was previously the Vice President of Research and Technology at Chevron Phillips Chemical (CPChem). In addition, he has served on the AmSty Board of Directors since 2020. Mr. Chandrashekar had been at CPChem since 2012. Prior roles include general manager of Petrochemicals Operations and Technical, and director of strategic transactions, focusing on mergers and acquisitions and business strategy. Additionally, he has experience providing strategic consulting services to banks and manufacturing companies, as well as holding various leadership positions at LyondellBasell Industries and Equistar Chemicals. Mr. Chandrashekar earned a Master of Science from Kansas State University and a Bachelor of Technology from the University of Madras in India.
Michael Lefenfeld is President and CEO of Hexion Inc., where he also serves as Chairman of the Board and on the Board of Managers for ASP Resins Holdings LP. Since 2023, he has transformed Hexion from a commodity chemical supplier into a technology-driven leader in advanced materials, embedding AI across operations and driving sustainable innovation with bio-based and circular materials. Lefenfeld has launched enterprise-wide initiatives to optimize efficiency, reduce waste, and improve operational performance. A scientist and serial entrepreneur, he holds over 100 patents, previously led Cyanco International and SiGNa Chemistry, and holds advanced degrees in chemistry from Columbia University and a BSc from Washington University in St. Louis.
Deep Bhattacharya is Group Vice President of Global Technology, responsible for shaping and executing Eastman’s global technology strategy, accelerating innovation, and advancing the adoption of digital, data, and AI-driven capabilities across the enterprise. With more than two decades at Eastman, Bhattacharya has led technology, innovation, and business transformation initiatives that connect research, product development, manufacturing, and commercial growth. Since joining Eastman in 2003 as a Senior Research Chemist, Bhattacharya has held leadership roles spanning technology and marketing organizations, building a track record of translating scientific innovation into business value. Prior to assuming the Global Technology leadership role, Bhattacharya served as Vice President of Plastics and Technology, where responsibilities included driving product innovation, portfoliostrategy, and technology commercialization. Bhattacharya holds Bachelor of Science degrees in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering from India, a Doctorate in Polymer Science from the State University of New York and completed the Executive Scholars from the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University. A recognized innovator, Bhattacharya holds five U.S. patents and has authored numerous publications in peer-reviewed journals. Beyond Eastman, Bhattacharya contributes to the advancement of technology, engineering, and AI adoption through advisory roles, including service on the Advisory Board for the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Miami and participation in the Industry Advisory Council focused on AI adoption at the Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Minnesota. He has previously served on the Editorial Board for the Journal of Coatings Technology and Research.
Jamie L. Cohen is Vice President of R&D for Dow’s Industrial Intermediates & Infrastructure business, where she leads innovation and technology development supporting the Polyurethanes, Construction Chemicals, and Industrial Solutions portfolios. She is a member of Dow’s R&D leadership team, shaping enterprise technology and organizational strategy. Since joining Dow in 2007, Cohen has held roles spanning Corporate R&D, Energy Materials, R&D and corporate strategy, and global R&D leadership across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. She holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Cornell University, is the inventor on five patents, and actively supports talent development and Dow employee resource groups.
Wesley Hamilton is Chief Technical Officer at Albemarle Corporation; a global lithium, bromine and specialty materials company with 2025 sales of approximately $5billion. In this role he leads Research and Technology for the corporation and is responsible for driving value through high impact innovation in process technology; new product and applications development for a portfolio that covers energy storage, fire safety, biocides, energetic materials and synthesis tools for pharmaceutical, ag chem and semiconductor applications.
Wesley holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from Texas A&M University – College Station and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Houston. He currently serves on the Industry Advisory Council of the Texas A&M Department of Chemical Engineering and on the Advisory Board of the Innovation Research Interchange.
Jayshree Seth is a Corporate Scientist at 3M and currently leads use-cases for Gen AI in R&D. She joined 3M in 1993 after a PhD in Chemical Engineering from Clarkson University and holds 80 patents. In 2020, she was awarded Society of Women Engineers (SWE) highest Achievement Award and in 2026 she was inducted to National Academy of Engineering. She is an accomplished thought-leader and was named to the 2025 Thinkers50 Radar. Jayshree is also author of The Heart of Science trilogy with over 50 actionable frameworks and mental models -- all proceeds go to scholarship for women in STEM.
Dr David Hatrick is Vice President of Strategic Marketing and Innovation at Huntsman Advanced Materials, located in Huntsman’s headquarters in The Woodlands, Texas. David leads the strategic planning and R&D activities for the division, from development of market insights, strategy development through to creation of new technology platforms and new product development. As well as the strategic planning team, his responsibilities cover the three major R&D centers, with marketing and technology teams operating in automotive, aerospace, adhesive, composite and electronic and electrical power markets. In parallel, David is responsible for an internal start up focused on scaling up a new form of carbon nanomaterials for diverse markets such as batteries, composites and concrete. He is also heavily involved in the divisions M&A activities and has been a key member of the due diligence and integration teams of three new businesses over the last 5 years.
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.
Thanos Yiagopoulos is Chief Technology Officer at Momentive Performance Materials, where he leads the company’s global technology organization responsible for innovation, new product and process development, and strategic technology initiatives across a worldwide R&D network of more than 500 professionals. With more than 20 years of experience in the chemical industry, including leadership roles at Momentive, SABIC, and LyondellBasell, he has built and transformed global R&D organizations that connect technology strategy, market needs, and sustainability. Thanos is recognized for developing mature innovation systems that integrate strong processes, cross-functional collaboration, and external partnerships to accelerate innovation and deliver meaningful business impact.
Lewis Sweet is the General Manager of Sustainable Fuels & Chemicals at Honeywell, where he drives the application of artificial intelligence, advanced analytics, and automation across refining, renewable fuels, and specialty chemicals. With two decades of experience spanning control systems, digital transformation, and industrial software, Lewis focuses on translating AI innovation into scalable, real-world outcomes for complex process industries. He works closely with global producers to enable autonomous operations, accelerate decarbonization, and improve asset performance through data-driven decision making. Previously, Lewis held senior leadership roles in Honeywell’s climate and digital strategy organizations and began his career designing mission critical aerospace systems. He holds a B.S. in Computer Engineering and an MBA and is a frequent speaker on AI-enabled industrial transformation.
Karthik Varatharajalu is an IT executive and transformation leader with over 25 years of experience driving enterprise-scale change across the chemicals industry. As Director of Enterprise Platforms at AdvanSix, he leads strategic initiatives spanning SAP S/4HANA, integrations, and analytics, with a strong focus on delivering measurable business value through technology. A recognized voice in the chemicals sector, Karthik has been a keynote speaker at SAP Best Practices for Chemicals and frequently shares AdvanSix’s transformation journey across industry forums. He is known for his pragmatic approach to executing complex transformations—balancing innovation, operational stability, and business outcomes to drive sustained impact.
Dr. Christina (Chris) Bodurow received her Bachelors of Arts from Kalamazoo College, and her Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Princeton University. Chris is currently Senior Vice President of Project Management at the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute. Chris’ prior roles include Deputy Director of the AVIDD/SyneRx NIH/NIAID grant at the Stanford School of Medicine, global Vice-President of Regulatory Affairs at IQVIA, and Eli Lilly and Company-Lilly Research Laboratories, Retired, 1984-2017. Chris also serves in a number of professional and community volunteer roles, including on the Board of Directors of the American Chemical Society, the Board of Directors of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, and the Board of Trustees of Kalamazoo College. She has been a member of the American Chemical Society since 1980.
Kelly Gilroy, VP Commercial Sustainability, leads the development and commercialization of sustainable and natural ingredients across Univar Solutions. Kelly supports customers on their sustainability journeys and works closely with the Univar Solutions global supplier base to identify markets and opportunities to launch innovative ingredients that meet evolving market, regulatory and societal expectations. Kelly joined Univar Solutions in 2014 to build our Beauty and Personal Care specialties business, and previously worked at The Lubrizol Corporation and Nalco, an Ecolab Company. Kelly holds a BS, Accountancy from the University of Illinois and is a CPA.
Marc Block is a global business leader with over two decades of experience building and scaling specialty chemical platforms across Asia, Europe, and North America. As Global Vice President at Wanhua Chemical Group, he leads the Performance Chemicals business platform, spanning aliphatic isocyanates, specialty amines, and special monomers, with full P&L accountability across a global organization. He supported Wanhua's ADI business growth from market entry into a leading global platform and has directed multiple cross-border M&A and integration initiatives. Prior to Wanhua, Marc spent over a decade at Bayer MaterialScience (now Covestro) in commercial and product management leadership roles. He holds an MBA from Nanyang Business School in Singapore.
Dr. John P. (Jack) Dever is the Chief Technology Officer, leads a world class staff responsible for contract chemical technology programs, including lab, pilot plant and manufacturing technology development. He joined AVN Corp. in 2011. Prior to joining AVN, he had technology development and manufacturing leadership roles at Union Carbide and subsequently the Dow Chemical Company for 28 years. Jack holds several patents and was recognized by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) with the 2023 Lawrence B. Evans Award in Chemical Engineering Practice and was elected as a Fellow in AICHE and WVU Chemical Engineering Academy. He received a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Notre Dame.
Jenn Klein is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Society of Chemical Manufacturers & Affiliates (SOCMA), where she drives strategic initiatives that strengthen and advance the specialty chemical industry. Under her leadership, SOCMA champions policies that enhance innovation, regulatory clarity, and operational excellence while promoting the highest standards of safety and sustainability. With more than 25 years of experience in government affairs and association management, Jenn is a recognized advocate and industry leader. She previously led the Ohio Chemistry Technology Council and has held senior roles in industry, government, and regulatory organizations.
Bill Flederbach is the Founder, President & CEO of ClimeCo, a global leader in sustainability and decarbonization solutions. With over 30 years of experience in environmental markets, he has driven scalable greenhouse gas reduction efforts and pioneered market-based solutions to address climate challenges. Since founding ClimeCo in 2009, Bill has led its evolution from nitrous oxide (N2O) abatement to a multifaceted provider of sustainability services, achieving over 40 million tonnes of CO₂e reductions globally. Known for fostering innovation and collaboration, Bill’s leadership reflects his dedication to empowering his team and advancing a more sustainable and resilient future.
Tanja Störmer is Vice President Product Development & Innovation at UPM Adhesive Materials, where she leads the global Product Development & Innovation organization and shapes the future of sustainable adhesive and labeling solutions. She has driven the transformation of R&D and Product Development toward agile, cross-regional innovation networks by building global innovation and technology platforms and regional development hubs.
Tanja brings extensive international leadership experience in the B2B and chemical industries, with a strong focus on scaling innovation through customer-centricity, data-driven decision-making, and agile development models.
Before her current role, she held P&L responsibility for the EMEIA Films & Specials SBU at UPM Adhesive Materials and served in multiple leadership positions at Henkel Adhesive Technologies.
Geoffrey Moeser is the senior technology director of Cabot’s reinforcement materials business segment, responsible for product, process, and application technology development of carbon black and elastomer composite materials for tire and rubber applications. In his 22 years at Cabot, he has worked in a variety of R&D roles in multiple business segments, including specialty carbons and battery materials. He holds a PhD in chemical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Sibel Selcuk is Executive Vice President of The Heritage Group, leading the Heritage Research Group and driving innovation across the company’s R&D efforts. Since joining THG in 2006, she has held key roles including Chief Scientist and later led Global R&D and Strategy at Monument Chemical as part of its Executive Leadership Team. Sibel also serves as President of Heritage Turkish Holdings, guiding strategic growth and partnerships in Turkey. With a Ph.D. in macromolecular science and a long history of leadership within the American Chemical Society, she is deeply committed to scientific advancement and community engagement.
Yuzo Kamei is a Senior Manager in Corporate Venturing and Innovation at Sumitomo Chemical America. With 20 years in chemical engineering and manufacturing, he has led numerous projects from lab-scale development to commercial operation, including a $9 billion expansion in Saudi Arabia, and key initiatives in production digitalization and GHG reduction. Yuzo currently scouts transformative technologies while empowering ventures with industrial insights, focusing on driving material breakthroughs to accelerate the circular economy and IT innovations. A dedicated mentor and baseball enthusiast, he holds an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin and an M.Eng. from the University of Tokyo.
Stuart joined Elsevier in 2014, initially as Chief Financial Officer and later serving as Chief Commercial Officer. Most recently he was Managing Director, Researchers and Librarians, leading a cross-functional team supporting academic research institutions. He played a key role in developing new innovative solutions for researchers, combining generative AI, trusted content, and data sets. He previously held senior roles in finance at RELX, Elsevier’s parent company, and at RBI, now part of the LexisNexis Risk division, having joined the group in 1998. Prior to RELX, Stuart was at KPMG. Stuart holds an MA in Mathematics from the University of Oxford. Stuart also serves as the Executive Sponsor of our Climate Action Program and as Co-Chair of Elsevier’s Climate Advisory Board, which advises on key actions and initiatives that together will deliver a net zero future, and advocates for science-based decisions and action to address the urgent climate emergency.
In his role, Stuart leads Elsevier’s teams focused on helping R&D-led organisations with advanced information and decision support solutions for innovation. He is based in London.
Andrea Jacobs is Director of Data Analytics at CAS, a division of the ACS specializing in scientific knowledge management. In her current role, Andrea leads a team of data scientists, many of whom also have an educational background in a natural science discipline such as chemistry, biology, and pharmacology, tasked with pioneering science-smart AI solutions to accelerate R&D workflows. In her 15-year tenure with CAS, she has held scientific, technical, and business leadership roles spanning the organization’s end-to-end operations, including enterprise strategy, product development, partnerships, content licensing, and data curation operations and infrastructure. Andrea earned her bachelor’s degree in chemistry and computer science from Wellesley College and an MBA from The Ohio State University.
Jeff Carbeck serves as Senior Director, Special Projects at The Heritage Group. Previously, he was Vice President of Corporate Innovation and Care Solutions Technology at Eastman Chemical Company, where he led sustainable materials innovation and oversaw technology development across multiple business lines. Earlier in his career, Carbeck was a professor of chemical engineering and materials science at Princeton University before leaving academia to found and build companies including Arsenal Medical and MC10. He also led a global innovation strategy practice at Monitor Deloitte. Carbeck holds a B.S. from the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. from MIT.
Nick Talken is the CEO and co-founder of Albert Invent. A chemical engineer with multiple patents and publications, Nick previously co-founded and served as CTO of Molecule, a leading 3D printing materials company, where he built the first version of Albert to help his own lab team. He later led the digital transformation of R&D at Henkel, the global leader in adhesives, sealants, and functional coatings. At Albert Invent, Nick now brings over a decade of technology innovation to empower every chemist with AI-driven insights.
Mitch serves as a Venture Director on The Heritage Group’s New Ventures team, bringing practical operating experience to HG Ventures and internal incubation efforts. He is passionate about helping leaders and investors build and scale businesses. Mitch currently serves as a Board Member of StreetIQ and CSF Materials, Board Observer for Electramet, Voxel, and Valerann, and an independent board member of Refreshed Tech.
Previously, he led Motus’ managed mobility business unit and scaled three SaaS companies—MOBI, Viral Launch, and Shiftlab—leading capital raises, strategy, and go-to- market execution, with two achieving successful exits.
Jard van Ingen is the CEO and co-founder of GetFocus, a decision-intelligence system for high-stakes R&D technology bets. We help CTOs and R&D portfolio leaders decide which competing technical routes to fund, monitor, phase out, or ignore. Backed by evidence instead of gut feel. Most tools show what's popular. We measure what's improving fastest. Our AI reads global patent data to compute each technology's Technology Improvement Rate (TIR), surfacing tomorrow's winners years before market consensus. Built on 30 years of MIT research; trusted by global innovators across automotive, materials, defense, and consumer goods.
Will Tashman is the co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer at Uncountable, a pioneering software platform that revolutionizes R&D lifecycle management through advanced technologies like AI, machine learning, and Design of Experiments (DOE). With a degree in Materials Engineering from MIT and previous engineering roles at Apple, Will brings over a decade of expertise in materials informatics and enterprise technology. At Uncountable, he spearheads strategic business development and customer success, driving solutions that support hundreds of clients and thousands of users across industries such as advanced materials, specialty chemicals, and coatings technologies. Will’s leadership has been instrumental in scaling Uncountable’s global presence, empowering R&D organizations to harness the full potential of their material informatics vision through scalable, cutting-edge technology. Passionate about innovation, Will is shaping the future of laboratory technology and material science through his work at Uncountable, where he continues to drive industry-wide transformation.
Nick has been with the company for 30 years, and his background is in Materials Science, with a Ph.D. in Polymer Science and Engineering. His role, along with his team’s, is to provide scientific and technical support for Dassault Systèmes’ customers in adopting our solutions for computational materials science, formulation management, laboratory informatics, and data science, across a range of industries.
Kevin brings practical lab to sales experience of specialized chemicals previously working at Arkema. He now consults for the Energy and Materials segment to drive digital continuity across an organization, utilizing the latest on AI & virtual twins technology. Since joining Dassault Systèmes his focus has been on driving large scale improvement projects for PLM, manufacturing and supply chain.
Brittany’s focus and experience sit at the intersection of product creation (PLM) and the assets that manufacture them (EAM/MES). She has nearly 20 years of consulting experience leading large, complex digital transformations, process improvements, and new product developments. Her experience in Smart Ops and the Digital Thread enables her to understand how raw materials are developed into, and can enhance, a finished product. She has a demonstrated ability to distill actionable narratives for clients and is known for being an opportunity identifier. She stands out for her ability to connect people, products, and businesses across the value chain.
Rob Stewart is chemist and senior R&D leader at Solstice Advanced Materials, where he leads work in materials discovery for electrochemical energy storage. With over a decade in fluorochemicals and specialty materials R&D, he blends deep technical expertise with commercial business development strategy touching many industrial segments. Rob is driven to continuously modernize how R&D teams manage data and workflow — turning to digital tools and high-throughput experimentation — accelerating material creation, sharpening decision-making, and scaling innovation faster.
