WR Grace, the bankrupt chemicals maker, has hired Mark Sutherland as vice president of investor relations.
Sutherland arrives from another chemicals maker, Lubrizol, where he held the role of IR officer for six years.
A long-serving employee of Lubrizol, Sutherland joined the company in 1981 and held a number of management roles during his time there.
‘He brings a wealth of industry and professional experience to his role, and is well regarded in the investment community,’ says Hudson La Force, Grace’s CFO.
‘We are looking forward to Mark making an immediate contribution to our investor relations activities.’
Sutherland’s new role will have its own unique communications challenges, given that Grace has not yet emerged from bankruptcy.
The chemicals company filed for Chapter 11 in 2001 following claims made against its asbestos business. It is currently awaiting permission to leave bankruptcy.
Sutherland has a chemistry degree from the College of Wooster, plus an MBA from the Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University.
