IISRP selects French, Thiele as recipients of its top two awards

HOUSTON—The International Institute of Synthetic Rubber Producers has revealed who will receive its two awards during its Annual General Meeting next spring.

The Houston-based association will posthumously honor Daniel French, who was chairman of French Oil Machinery Co., with its IISRP General Award, while Sven Thiele from Synthos Group will be the recipient of the Technical Award.

The awards will be formally presented on May 7 during the 64th Annual General Meeting in Bangkok, Thailand.

"It will be a great privilege for me to present these awards to two exceptional leaders in the synthetic rubber industry and valuable collaborators of the IISRP," Juan Ramon Salinas, the institute's executive director and CEO, said in a news release announcing the honorees.

French died Oct. 13 at the age of 79, having served the family-owned business for more than five decades. He became president in 1982 and served in that role for 31 years before taking on the chairman and CEO posts.

French Oil has been supplying the global synthetic rubber industry for several decades with products and services aimed at improving customers' productivity and reducing production costs through technological innovations the company has developed.

"All the above can be seen in the improvements in the finishing lines that are operating in many plants and through the hydraulic presses for molding rubber and rubber compounds, in the rubber mixers, and in the screw presses for synthetic rubber processing and in equipment for separating liquids from solids," the IISRP said in its announcement.

The association added that French advocated for the partnership between industry and market stakeholders.

"Dan's active involvement, leadership and support have been beneficial to many businesses, industry associations, and civic organizations," the institute said. "The IISRP is no exception. His continuous support and active participation have benefited the institute. He will be remembered for collaborating on the activities and projects of the IISRP."

Thiele was selected for the Technical Award, the IISRP said, because of his contributions that have played a key role in shaping the global SR industry.

"His influential body of research, particularly his pioneering work in the field of functionalized synthetic rubber materials, has brought about transformative changes," the institute said. "This work has set new standards for the growth in the production of advanced synthetic rubber grades and directly contributed to innovation in the tire sector, with significant improvements in tire performance and sustainability."

Thiele earned his doctorate in chemistry from Westfaelische Wilhelms University in Muenster, Germany. His postdoctoral activities included research projects with Solvay and DSM. Since 1997, he held industrial R&D positions at Trinseo, Dow and DSM. He joined Synthos in 2021, after the firm acquired the synthetic rubber business of Trinseo.

"This transition has further established his leadership, driving the SSBR process and product development activities of Europe's largest synthetic rubber producer toward more advanced and sustainable commercial materials," the IISRP said.

His prior awards include the 2011 IQ Innovation Award in the chemistry/plastics category, the 2015 DKG Product Award and the 2017 Hugo Junkers Award for Best Product Development.

"Throughout his career, Dr. Thiele has been an active voice in the global technical conference circuit. His presentations have greatly contributed to the advancement of synthetic rubber, solidifying his reputation as a respected industry expert," the association said.

The IISRP has more than 50 corporate members from 23 countries that collectively produce 75 percent of the world's synthetic rubber.

It last presented its awards at the 2022 AGM, when Liang Amin of China's Sinopec received the General Award, and Lucio Spelta, retired from Versalis A.G., was honored with the Technical Award.