Mr. Zhuang Yi

Current President International

Mr. Zhuang Yi has a well-recognized and extensive professional background in the polymer industry. He is currently the chief specialist in synthetic materials for China Petroleum and Chemical Group (Sinopec).

Mr. Yi has been engaged in scientific research and management in the field of petrochemical and synthetic polymer materials. In 1988, he joined the Liaoyang Branch of PetroChina Company Limited. In 1997, he joined Sinopec and worked in the Science and Technology Department. In 2022, he was appointed as Sinopec's Chief Specialist in the field of synthetic materials.

He currently serves as Vice President of the China Synthetic Rubber Industry Association and Director of the Chemical New Materials Professional Committee of the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation.

Mr. Dan P. French

IISRP General Award 2024

For more than 30 years, Dan has been in charge of the Chairman and CEO position at French Oil Mill Machinery Company, but his history with the company started more than 50 years ago. He began his professional career as a machine operator and has since advanced to the position of president, president, and CEO, all of which he has held for more than half a century.

The history of the family company, founded by his grandfather over 120 years ago, has influenced his professional career. Dan began his tradition of service and giving back in 1966 when he joined the US Air Force as a second lieutenant. He was on active duty for five years before joining French Oil, which involved service in Vietnam. Dan continued military service in the USAF Reserves until he retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1994 after joining the company full-time.

Under Mr. French's leadership, the family-owned company has experienced successful growth through emphasizing its core values of customer first and continuous innovation. These values are achieved by supplying customized equipment built to last in customer plants worldwide. His business experience is recognized by his peers and clients, who have benefitted from his services throughout his professional career; the lives of the family company’s employees and the productivity of many synthetic rubber production plants have been improved by his business management and efforts.

For several decades now, the global synthetic rubber industry has benefited from receiving superior-value products and services that aim to improve its customers' productivity and reduce their production costs through all the technological innovations driven by Dan. All of 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.

Dan advocates 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 IISRP is no exception. Its continuous support and active participation have benefited the Institute. He will be remembered for participating in numerous AGMs organized by IISRP, which demonstrates his interest in collaborating in the activities and projects of the IISRP.

Dan graduated from Princeton University in 1966 and completed a post-grad program at Harvard Business School in 1977.

Dr. Sven Thiele

IISRP Technical Award 2024

Dr. Thiele is Senior R&D Leader, Process & Product Development for SSBR Synthos Synthetic Rubber.

Citation

Dr. Sven Thiele is nominated for his outstanding technical contributions that have played a pivotal role in shaping the global synthetic rubber industry. His influential body of research, particularly his pioneering work in the field of functionalized synthetic rubber materials, has brought about transformative changes. 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.

Professional Background

Dr. Thiele earned his PhD in Chemistry from Westfaelische Wilhelms University in Muenster, Germany. His postdoctoral activities included research projects with industry leaders such as Solvay and DSM. He has held significant industrial R&D positions since 1997 at Trinseo, Dow, and DSM. In 2021, following Synthos’ acquisition of Trinseo’s synthetic rubber business, he joined Synthos. 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.

Key Impacts and Contributions.

Fundamental contributions – Dr. Thiele’s R&D inventions form the foundations for all commercial functionalized rubber grades produced at Synthos’ manufacturing facility in Schkopau, Germany, which are used across the global tire and industrial rubber product manufacturing sectors.

SSBR production advancements – Dr. Thiele's pioneering work in the field of elastomer functionalization for nearly two decades has been critical to the success and growth of commercial production of solution styrene butadiene rubber (S-SBR). The expansion of S-SBR production from one train to four production trains by 2023 in Schkopau, Germany, making it the world's largest S-SBR production site, can be directly attributed to his innovative contributions.

Enhanced tire performance - SSBR architecture and functionalization significantly improve the balance between key performance properties of passenger car tires. Dr Thiele’s research on novel functionalized synthetic rubber has directly translated into enhanced tire performance. These innovative rubber grades he has developed for use in tire tread compounds offer reduced rolling resistance, superior traction, and handling combined with a balanced grip on various road surfaces, leading to improved road safety.

Sustainability - Dr Thiele's R&D work has consistently aimed to advance material solutions that are both sustainable and highly efficient. His functionalized SSBR grades have played a significant role in the development of fuel-efficient tires, directly aligning with global sustainability goals.

EV tire applications - Recently, Dr Thiele has shifted his focus to the development of new SSBR grades to meet the performance demands of EVs. This includes efforts to reduce rolling resistance further and enhance tire wear and durability. With tire wear emerging as a source of environmental microplastics, the most efficient way to reduce microplastics is to improve tire abrasion. Dr Thiele’s efforts are directly contributing to reducing the environmental impact.

Awards

Bill Hyde

Vice President of Olefins and Elastomers in Chemical Market Analytics, a Dow Jones Company

Bill began his career with Union Carbide Corporation in 1990 where he had various positions, including engineering, optimization, planning, and logistics. In 2000, he joined Texas Petrochemicals as a Business Analyst. Bill joined CMAI in the Olefins Consulting practice in 2002. He assumed responsibility for CMAI’s Global C4 Olefins and Elastomer Practice in 2006. In 2011 he was promoted to Senior Director Olefins and Elastomers in IHS Chemicals, Now IHS Markit, with responsibility for the global suite of Olefins and Elastomers Services. Currently is Vice President of Olefins and Elastomers in Chemical Market Analytics, a Dow Jones Company. He has published several papers on the Olefins and Elastomers industries as well as presented at Olefins and Elastomers Conferences around the world. Bill has B.S. and M.S. Degrees in Chemical Engineering from Brigham Young University and an M.B.A. from Tulane University.

Roxanna Bauza-Petrovic

General Director of Programs of the International Institute of Synthetic Rubber Producers, Inc. based in Houston, Texas.

Her career began at INSA in 1999 (Mexico) where she held several positions until 2003 when she transferred to Dynasol, LLC (Houston) as their marketing specialist. She holds a BS in chemical engineering from ITCM (Mexico) and she completed her MBA in digital marketing at CEREM International Business School in 2018. Roxanna served as Dynasol’s representative on the Americas Section Statistical Committee and as the Institute’s Statistical Committee Chair in 2009. In her current role, Roxanna is accountable for the IISRP’s Statistical Programs including data collection, reconciliation, systems design, and analysis and reporting. Also, she is responsible for the preparation of all statistical publications. Has direct responsibility for the Statistical Committee activities and serves as principal liaison for this Committee to the Managing Director. Assists the Managing Director for policy planning, development and implementation. Roxanna has more than 20 years of experience in engineering, supply chain, procurement, quality systems, project management, commercial intelligence and international business development support.

Massimo Cialone

After achieving a summa cum laude M.Sc Degree in Chemical Engineering in Rome in 1994 on organic Materials, he devoted himself to the tire industry from 1995 until today. Over the last 29 years, Massimo has worked for international global companies in different roles in R&D, where he was able to gain expertise in both Raw Materials to Compounding as well as Processing. He joined Hankook - European Technical Center in 2015, where he serves a Material and Compounding Chief Specialist. Since 2019 his major focus is the development of innovative materials in the field of sustainability as well as coordinating research project in the EU area. Massimo also represents Hankook in several International Organizations such as ETRMA )European Tire and Rubber Manufacturers Association) and TIP (Tire Industry Project) Massimo is married and has one daughter.

David Shaw

David Shaw is the owner and Chief Executive of an international company called Tire Industry Research (TIRes). He has over 35 years' experience of the global tire industry. TIRes publishes a weekly newsletter on the tire industry in China as well as monthly reports on the global tire industry. These are regarded as some of the most influential publications in the tire industry and are essential sources of information and insight for many stakeholders. Since 2020, he has focussed on sustainability in the tire industry and offers some of the most insightful commentaries on the state of sustainability actions in the global tire business His customers include tire makers, tire wholesalers, and suppliers to the tire industry as well as financial institutions, other consultants, and government departments and industry associations. He regularly advises chief executives and corporate strategists on the future development of the global tire industry David regularly presents at conferences and tire industry events in Asia, the Americas and Europe.

Dr. Lekshmi S. Nair

Dr Lekshmi Nair is an international development expert, with over 20 years of distinguished professional trajectory with the public sector, private sector, academia, research, and International Organizations. A leading Economist with agriculture, trade, commodity, and management expertise, contributing to trade, equity, and sustainable development, focusing on developing and less developed economies. Dr Nair has over two decades of experience in elastomers with the International Rubber Organizations. Before joining ANRPC, Dr Nair had research and academic associations with the University of London, the Australian National University, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Government of India, and the International Rubber Study Group. Dr Nair holds a PhD in Economics from the University of London and is also a Cambridge University alumnus.

Prof. Dr. Chaoying Wan

University of Warwick

Dr. Chaoying Wan is a Professor at the International Institute for Nanocomposites Manufacturing (IINM), WMG, University of Warwick, UK. She specialises in macromolecular design via polymer chemistry and reactive processing technologies. She leads the Advanced Rubber Laboratory, sponsored by the High Value Manufacturing Catapult Centre of UK, WMG, working closely with global and national industries to innovate polymer nanotechnology for rubber circularity. The research strategies include in situ functionalisation, reactive processing, polymer foaming and 3D/4D printing. The functional elastomers have been applied for self-healing, adaptive and reprocessable soft devices, high performance sealing materials in harsh environments, damping and noise-control, and green tyre industries. The research aims to understand the relationship of microstructure - performance - circularity of polymer nanocomposites, and to co-develop sustainable rubber technologies for industrial decarbonization.  

Bill Henderson

Siemens

Bill Henderson is a degreed electrical engineer with over 30 years' experience in manufacturing automation, drives and motion control. With a strong background in manufacturing in various industries including Plastics, Converting, Metal Forming as well as Tire & Rubber, Bill brings a vast amount of engineering related experience and knowledge to the market. He has been working in the Tire & Rubber industry for over 10 years with every major Tire company around the world.

Robert Simmons

Global Data

Robert Simmons joined GlobalData with the acquisition of LMC in 2021, he is responsible for tyre and rubber market research. At LMC he was the Managing Director of LMC Tyre and Rubber. Robert has been analysing the tyre market for over 20 years and is a regular speaker at international conferences. He first learnt about natural rubber in Papua New Guinea where he worked in the early 1990s. He is an economist by training and has a Masters’ Degree in Agricultural Economics from Reading University.