Casanello to bring over two decades of agricultural and diversified specialty chemicals leadership experience
Recent key new hires aimed at capitalizing on growth opportunities
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Jan. 05, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Platform Specialty Products Corporation (NYSE:PAH) ("Platform"), a global specialty chemicals company, announced today that it has named Diego Lopez Casanello President of its Agricultural Solutions segment. Mr. Casanello will join Platform effective February 1, 2016.
Mr. Casanello joins Platform with over 20 years of experience at global diversified chemicals manufacturer BASF, having most recently served as Senior Vice President and head of the Agricultural Products Division, Asia Pacific. His previous positions at BASF included Senior Vice President of the Performance Chemicals Division, North America as well as CEO and Managing Director of BASF Argentina. Mr. Casanello has held numerous other roles within the Agricultural Products Division of BASF including Head of Global Marketing for Seed Treatment, Global Manager of New Business Development and Business Director for South Europe. Mr. Casanello holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Hagen, Hagen, Germany.
Platform’s CEO Rakesh Sachdev commented, “Diego’s depth of experience in agricultural chemicals as well as his diverse strategic and global management experience in the industry make him an ideal choice to lead Platform’s global agricultural chemicals business.” Mr. Sachdev continued, “We remain very excited about the long term opportunities in the Ag markets, and Diego is the right person to drive this business forward. Diego has an impressive track record of managing global businesses including integrating and investing for growth. I am confident that under Diego’s leadership we will capitalize on the dynamic opportunities that exist within our Ag businesses and the Ag sector as a whole.”
“I am excited to join Platform and to lead its agricultural products business,” said Mr. Casanello. “There are significant opportunities ahead of us and I look forward to helping my team create value from our portfolio of our three recently combined businesses. Consistent with Platform’s mindset, we will focus on driving free cash flow through organic growth opportunities in high margin segments and cost management. There is a lot that we can accomplish.”
Platform has made several other key hires in recent months including Stuart Kippelman as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer (CIO). Mr. Kippelman is responsible for the global IT vision, strategy and execution in support of business priorities. He previously worked as CIO of Covanta since 2010 and has received numerous prestigious industry recognitions including Top 100 CIO's in STEM 2015, Computerworld’s 2014 Premier IT Leader Award and the CIO.com Top 100 Award in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Prior to Covanta, Mr. Kippelman was with Johnson & Johnson for over fourteen years where he held various IT leadership roles.
About Platform
Platform is a global, diversified producer of high-technology specialty chemicals and a provider of technical services. The business involves the formulation of a broad range of solutions-oriented specialty chemicals, which are sold into multiple industries, including agrochemical, animal health, electronics, graphic arts, water treatment, plating, and offshore oil production and drilling. More information on Platform is available at www.platformspecialtyproducts.com.
Forward-looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the appointment of Platform’s new President of its Agricultural Solutions segment. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, market and other general economic conditions, Platform's perception of future availability of equity or debt financing needed to fund its growing business, Platform's ability to identify, hire and retain executives and other employees with sufficient expertise, Platform's assessment of its internal control over financial reporting, the impact of commodities and currencies and Platform's ability to manage its risk in these areas, future capital expenditures, indebtedness, leverage, dividend policy, and the risk factors set forth in the periodic reports and other documents filed by Platform with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Platform's annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014 and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarters ended June 30, 2015 and September 30, 2015. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release and Platform assumes no obligation to update such forward-looking statements or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in such forward-looking statements.