HR Notices From August 29
EcoMotors Welcomes Jennifer Holmgren to Board and Patrick S. Aubry as CFO: Allen Park-based EcoMotors International has appointed Jennifer Holmgren to its board of directors and named Patrick S. Aubry as the company's CFO. Holmgren is a CEO, chemist, noted author, and a holder of multiple patents. She adds a depth of relevant experience and acumen to EcoMotors' board. Aubry brings more than 25 years of financial management experience, including senior management responsibilities at three manufacturing companies. Holmgren is CEO of LanzaTech, a bio-energy technology firm, and has more than 20 years of experience in the energy field. She previously served as vice president and general manager of the renewable energy and chemicals business unit at UOP LLC, a Honeywell company. She was instrumental in building UOP's renewable ventures into a contributing business unit, while simultaneously stretching research initiatives to introduce novel technology solutions. Holmgren holds a B.Sc. degree from Harvey Mudd College, a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and an MBA from the University of Chicago. She is the author or co-author of 50 United States patents and 20 scientific publications, and was the 2003 recipient of the Council for Chemical Research's Malcolm E. Pruitt Award. In 2010 Dr. Holmgren was highly placed on Biofuels Digest's list of the 100 most influential people in bio-energy. Aubry is EcoMotors' first CFO, a position made necessary by the company's continuing growth and the increasing pace of commercialization of the revolutionary OPOC engine. Before joining EcoMotors, Aubry was CFO at EP Management Corp. (formerly EaglePicher Corp.) for five years, and before that was CFO at ASC Inc. for three years. He was also the VP of Finance for Faurecia NA Exhaust. His areas of general business experience include financing, manufacturing, quoting, development and engineering, commercial planning, purchasing, information systems and human resources. Aubry holds a BBA degree, accounting major, from the University of Toledo, and has been a Certified Public Accountant since 1986. Based in Allen Park and established in early 2008, EcoMotors is changing the landscape of internal combustion power by commercializing the unique OPOC engine for use in cars, light trucks, commercial vehicles, aerospace, marine, agriculture, auxiliary power units and generators. Two primary investors in EcoMotors are Khosla Ventures and Bill Gates.
Dow Makes Several Personnel Moves: Dow Chemical Co. has named Rich Wells vice president and site director of its Michigan operations. Wells was previously of global government affairs and public policy. He succeeds Earl Shipp, who was named vice president and site director of Dow's Texas operations. Wells had been in his present role since October 2009. Previously, he served as vice president for energy, climate change and alternative feedstocks. He joined Dow in 1982 and held diverse roles in manufacturing and energy through 1998, when he was named global director of hydrocarbons and energy supply chains. Wells is a member of the Academic Advisory Board at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, serves on the Board of Directors for the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, is on the Executive Committee of the U.S. Council of International Business and is President for the Lake Huron Area Council of the Boy Scouts. He has also served as Board Secretary for the Alliance to Save Energy and Vice Chairman of the Chlorine Institute Board of Directors. Wells holds a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. Dow also announced that Gary Hockstra had been named vice president of manufacturing, engineering and EH&S for the Dow advanced materials division. Hockstra had been vice president and site director of Dow's Texas operations, a position he had held sicne December 2007. Hockstra joined Dow in 1980 after earning a degree in chemical engineering from Michigan State University. He began his Dow career in Midland, working in research and development. In 1985 he relocated to Italy and subsequently moved to Terneuzen, the Netherlands where he worked in manufacturing and engineering. In 1996, Hockstra moved to Texas to serve as Light Hydrocarbons Technology Leader for Texas Operations. In 2000, he assumed the additional responsibility of Light Hydrocarbons R&D director. In late 2002, he was named Manufacturing Director of Engineering Plastics and in 2004 he assumed the role of Manufacturing Director for Engineering Polymers.
