Why Specialty Chemicals Companies Struggle With Leadership Succession
Every industrial sector worries about succession planning. The specialty chemicals industry carries a specific set of pressures that make the problem harder to solve and slower to fix once it’s identified.
At the top of the industry, the path to CEO takes longer than in most sectors
Heidrick & Struggles analyzed the backgrounds of 129 CEOs at chemicals companies worldwide with revenues over $2.5 billion.
Why Specialty Chemicals Companies Struggle With Leadership Succession
Every industrial sector worries about succession planning. The specialty chemicals industry carries a specific set of pressures that make the problem harder to solve and slower to fix once it’s identified.
At the top of the industry, the path to CEO takes longer than in most sectors
Heidrick & Struggles analyzed the backgrounds of 129 CEOs at chemicals companies worldwide with revenues over $2.5 billion.
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Supply Chain Director
- 15 Years of supply chain experience in the chemical industry
- 5+ years of experience leading teams
- Proven track record of driving cost savings & efficiency
- Supply Chain degree preferred
- Contact Ricky Foster: (470) 705-0128 ricky@boazpartners.com
Finance Director
- Join a growing organization and help define and drive strategic projects with the leadership team
- 10 Years of experience, at least 5 years in finance & accounting leadership
- Process manufacturing industry experience
- Business partner experience
- Contact Sylvia Moreira: (470) 334-0542 sylvia@boazpartners.com
Operations Leadership – Midwest
- Chemical manufacturing site leadership experience
- 4 Year college degree, technical degree preferred
- Experience leading maintenance and capital projects
- Batch operation
- Contact Ricky Foster: (470) 705-0128 ricky@boazpartners.com
Operations Leadership – Northeast
- BS Chemical or Mechanical Engineering
- 10+ Chemical manufacturing experience
- Union experience
- Change agent / turnaround Experience
- PSM & ISO9001
- Batch reactionary chemistry
- Contact Ricky Foster: (470)705-0128 ricky@boazpartners.com
Logistics Manager
- 10 Years of experience
- End-to-end transportation and distribution of bulk liquid chemicals across trucking, rail & barge modes
- Supply chain, business, or technical degree
- Broader supply chain and procurement experience is a plus
- Contact Sylvia Moreira: (470) 334-0542 sylvia@boazpartners.com
Plant Manager
- Chemical manufacturing experience
- Strong leadership experience
- Hands-on leader to manage production, packaging and shipping
- Contact Sylvia Moreira: (470) 334-0542 sylvia@boazpartners.com
Materials/Production Planning Leadership
- Fast growing advanced composites company serving aerospace/defense/space
- Lead supply chain role on-site
- Great Dayton area
- Must have 5 years of experience in a similar role
- Contact Lucas Jensen: (470) 407-5308 lucas@boazpartners.com
Chemical Process Engineer
- Chemical Engineering degree
- 5+ Years of chemical process design/ process improvement experience
- Batch process, reactive chemistry, wet chemistry
- PSM, HAZOP, PHAs
- Silicones/ silanes experience is a plus
- Contact Ricky Foster: (470) 705-0128 ricky@boazpartners.com
Business Development Manager – New Markets
- True hunter role focused on opening new markets and winning net-new business
- Build a pipeline from scratch with no existing book of business to inherit
- Own the full sales cycle from prospecting through commercial agreements
- Develop relationships with contractors, producers, municipalities, DOTs, consultants, and engineers
- Lead commercialization of innovative products within paving, construction, and industrial markets
- Partner with technical teams to support customer trials and product adoption
- Identify and execute go-to-market strategies for emerging applications and markets
- Track opportunities and forecasts through Salesforce while maintaining strong prospecting activity
- Approximately 50% travel throughout the U.S. and occasional travel into Canada
- Contact Robbie Villemarette: (470) 568-4888 robbie@boazpartners.com
Senior Research Engineer
- Batch reactive liquid chemistries
- Chemical engineering degree
- Scale-up engineering experience
- Project management leadership
- New product development
- Contact Ricky Foster: (470) 705-0128 ricky@boazpartners.com
Hiring Operational Leaders
The demand for Operational Leadership talent is HOT right now! We have seen an influx across all three of our practices (Specialty Chemicals, Advanced Materials, and Animal Health) for operations leaders. If you or someone you know is looking for their next career opportunity, connect with us to start the conversation.
Opportunities:
- Chief Operations Officer
- Vice President of Operations
- Senior Director of Operations
- Site Director
- Plant Manager x 4
- Operations Manager
- Manufacturing Manager
The demand for Operational Leadership talent is HOT right now! We have seen an influx across all three of our practices (Specialty Chemicals, Advanced Materials, and Animal Health) for operations leaders. If you or someone you know is looking for their next career opportunity, connect with us to start the conversation.
Opportunities:
- Chief Operations Officer
- Vice President of Operations
- Senior Director of Operations
- Site Director
- Plant Manager x 4
- Operations Manager
- Manufacturing Manager
CAMX 2026
The Composites and Advanced Materials Expo took place in Atlanta on September 21–24. Did you get a chance to meet our team?
Here’s why it’s worth meeting with a recruiting firm at tradeshows:
We keep it confidential. Every candidate goes through a triple screen, researcher, recruiter, and executive manager, before ever being presented. Talking with us commits you to nothing and stays between us.
2027 planning starts now. Q4 is when succession planning ramps up. Connecting before a search is urgent means we already know your team, culture, and standards when the role opens. This is often the difference between a rushed hire and the right one.
We know Advanced Materials. We specialize in placing talent in the Advanced Materials space ranging from C-suite through high-impact individual contributors across commercial, R&D, EHS, quality, regulatory, maintenance, engineering, and supply chain
Missed John or Robbie at the show? It’s not too late to connect.
The Composites and Advanced Materials Expo took place in Atlanta on September 21–24. Did you get a chance to meet our team?
Here’s why it’s worth meeting with a recruiting firm at tradeshows:
We keep it confidential. Every candidate goes through a triple screen, researcher, recruiter, and executive manager, before ever being presented. Talking with us commits you to nothing and stays between us.
2027 planning starts now. Q4 is when succession planning ramps up. Connecting before a search is urgent means we already know your team, culture, and standards when the role opens. This is often the difference between a rushed hire and the right one.
We know Advanced Materials. We specialize in placing talent in the Advanced Materials space ranging from C-suite through high-impact individual contributors across commercial, R&D, EHS, quality, regulatory, maintenance, engineering, and supply chain
Missed John or Robbie at the show? It’s not too late to connect.
MOST PLACEABLE CANDIDATE: An MPC is someone that we have identified in the industry as a highly qualified and placeable candidate. For more information on this kind of talent, contact info@boazpartners.com
MOST PLACEABLE CANDIDATE: An MPC is someone that we have identified in the industry as a highly qualified and placeable candidate. For more information on this kind of talent, contact info@boazpartners.com
Boaz Partners Specialty Chemicals Team
Boaz Partners Specialty Chemicals Team
Founded in Atlanta, Georgia, Boaz Partners is a retained executive recruitment firm providing companies with custom recruiting solutions in the Specialty Chemicals, Advanced Materials and Animal Health industries. Our success results from a specialized approach focusing on specific functions, industry, level, and location. Our name “Boaz Partners” refers to Ruth’s husband Boaz in the Old Testament who was known for his swiftness, integrity, and transparency, which provides the pillars of our firm’s service.
Clients and candidates are able to rely on Boaz Partners for our vast industry knowledge and proven search process to reach their hiring goals.
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Boaz Partners, 655 Highland Avenue NE, Suite 108 , Atlanta, GA 30312, United States
KEEP UP WITH US
Boaz Partners, 655 Highland Avenue NE, Suite 108 , Atlanta, GA 30312, United States
