LEVERKUSEN, Germany-Bayer MaterialScience A.G. named Patrick Thomas, former head of polyurethanes business units at ICI P.L.C. and Huntsman Corp., to succeed Hagen Noerenberg as chairman when Noerenberg retires at year-end.
The 48-year-old Thomas, a native of Portsmouth, England, brings more than 25 years experience in international chemistry industry management to the company.
Thomas joined Bayer MaterialScience last month. He began his career with ICI´s pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals business and moved in 1989 to ICI Polyurethanes in Belgium. There he became regional director for Europe, Africa and the Middle East in 1993 and four years later was appointed global CEO.
In 1999, Thomas joined Huntsman as president of the Polyurethanes, Performance and Advanced Materials divisions, in Belgium.
In 2003, he was named corporate executive vice president of Huntsman Matlin Patterson. Since 2005, he has been working as a management consultant.
Noerenberg, a 30-year Bayer veteran, has been chairman since January 2004. He also headed Bayer´s polyurethanes business from November 2001.