Nouryon, a global specialty chemicals leader, has appointed Curtis Espeland to its Board of Directors, effective January 18, 2021. Espeland will also chair the company’s Audit Committee.    

“Nouryon is extremely pleased to welcome Curt to our Board of Directors. As the former CFO of Eastman Chemical Company, Curt brings highly valuable strategic and operational experience leading a Fortune 500 company within the global chemical industry, as well as substantial experience in all aspects of financial management in a public company environment,” said Charlie Shaver, chairman and CEO of Nouryon.    

“The high caliber of Curt’s leadership skills is an ideal complement to the existing makeup of our Board members, and we look forward to his contribution in helping us realize our ambitious growth goals in the coming years,” Shaver added.    

Espeland brings more than 25 years of experience in leadership roles with Eastman Chemical Company, most recently as executive vice president and CFO, and prior to that, in the business consulting and audit services sector. He currently serves as lead director and member of the finance and audit committees of Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc.   

Noelle Walsh

Espeland’s appointment follows that of Noelle Walsh in January 2020 to the Board and to the Company’s Audit Committee. Walsh is Corporate VP of Cloud Operations & Innovation at Microsoft. She has strengthened the Board with a high-performance mindset and strong operational background in leading global teams in manufacturing, supply chain and customer service. She builds on 25 years in the chemicals industry with The Dow Chemical Company, as well as valuable experience working with other Boards.     

With the appointments of Mr. Espeland and Ms. Walsh as independent directors, the Nouryon Board of Directors is now comprised of 11 members with complementing backgrounds and experiences.