Emissions in Remission - Albemarle Corporation

John Nicols assumes leadership
role at Albemarle Catalysts
In a proactive response to developing market opportunities, Albemarle has announced a number of key leadership
reassignments to take effect January 1, 2007. Of special interest to the readers of this publication, Mr. John Nicols has
been named Vice President of Albemarle Catalysts.
John Nicols
Vice President
Albemarle Catalysts
Nicols, who holds a bachelor’s degree in
chemical engineering and an MBA from
the MIT Sloan School of Management,
brings an impressive set of skills and a
record of key accomplishments to the new
assignment. He first joined Albemarle,
then Ethyl Corporation, in 1990, and was
active for more than a decade in the
company’s flame retardants business. After
an initial assignment as product manager,
Nicols was appointed head of that
segment’s Asia/Pacific operations in 1995,
working from its Tokyo headquarters
through 1998.
From there he was able to learn the
intricacies of the Asian market as it
expanded to dominate the global
electronics manufacturing industry, and
was instrumental in the company’s initial
exploration of the rapidly growing China
market. Following a brief assignment at
the company’s manufacturing plant in
Pasadena, Texas, Nicols next took a post as
head of the company’s global flame
retardant business. In 2002, he was tapped
for his most recent post as head of the
Fine Chemicals division.
Assignments for Nicols have included
commanding substantial profit growth for
flame retardants and fine chemicals,
which together make up some 80 percent
of Albemarle’s business outside refinery
catalysts. Bringing a keen technology focus
to his leadership roles, he has been active
in developing several significant new
market opportunities, including the
recent Tamiflu intermediate business.
He also has played a key role in
mergers and acquisitions, including the
Martinswerk manufacturing facility in
Bergheim, Germany; the Port de Bouc
operation in France; and the facilities
acquisition in South Haven, Michigan,
USA, for which he was also lead
negotiator. His long tenure with the
company and the breadth and depth
of his assignments equip Nicols to
take the helm of the catalysts business at
a time of unprecedented market
opportunities and challenges.
Nicols succeeds Mr. Ray Hurley, who has
overseen the dynamic growth of the
catalysts business since 2002. Hurley will
now take charge of Albemarle’s new
Alternative Fuels Technology group, where
he will devote his considerable talents to
developing opportunities in the rapidly
expanding tar sands, coal-to-liquid, gas-toliquid
and biomass-to-fuel industries.
Hurley will also work to strengthen alliance
opportunities with UOP and other key
players. “The company recognizes the
importance of these exciting new markets,
and the reassignments devote some of our
strongest management talent to the
challenge of developing these major
opportunities,” Nicols said. “It’s also a sign
of a top-down determination to further
integrate the different elements of our
business, driving the best practices from
the refinery catalyst side more deeply into
Albemarle’s other businesses, and vice
versa.”
Citing the company’s strong, ongoing
commitment to the catalysts business,
Nicols sees his role as preparing an already
successful segment for a further
strengthening of its leadership role in the
industry. “The years ahead hold great
challenges, and great promise, for our
catalysts business,” said Nicols, “and I’m
very excited to be taking the reins of such
a dynamic and talented organization.”
Nicols, 42, will continue to work from the
company’s offices in Baton Rouge,
Louisiana, where he lives with his wife.
Their family also includes two children
and two grandchildren.
John Nicols
Vice President
Albemarle Catalysts
Issue 66 ■ Courier 3