SPE President/Executive Committee announced at ANTEC® 2010.
Press Release Summary:
At ANTEC® 2010, 1-yr terms for new officers were announced, including President Ken J. Braney, who is Managing Director of Thermoforming Solutions, Ltd., based in UK. Braney became member of SPE in 1995 and was President-Elect in 2009-2010. Russell C. Broome, Global Business Development Manager for PolyOne Corporation, was named 2010 President-Elect. Broome has worked on student and young-professional issues for Society and will succeed Braney as President at ANTEC 2011.
Original Press Release:
SPE Installs Ken J. Braney as President and Russell C. Broome as President-Elect; Announces 2010-11 Executive Committee
ORLANDO, FL, U.S.A. - Following longstanding practice, ANTEC® 2010 marks the beginning of one-year terms for new officers of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE), it was announced today by Susan Oderwald, SPE executive director.
The Society installs Ken J. Braney as its new president, succeeding Dr. Paul G. Andersen. A native of the United Kingdom, he is the first SPE president who has not been a resident of North America. Braney is managing director of Thermoforming Solutions Ltd., based in the UK.
At ANTEC 2011, Braney will be succeeded by the new president-elect, Russell C. Broome, who is global business development manager for PolyOne Corporation.
SPE has also announced the membership of its 2010-2011 Executive Committee, including the following positions:
PRESIDENT: Ken J. Braney, Thermoforming Solutions Ltd.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Susan E. Oderwald, SPE
PRESIDENT-ELECT: Russell C. Broome, PolyOne Corporation
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT: James S. Griffing, The Boeing Co
VICE PRESIDENT/SECRETARY: Dr. Brian P. Grady, University of Oklahoma
VICE PRESIDENT/TREASURER: Scott E. Owens, Chemtrusion Inc.
VICE PRESIDENT: Jon Ratzlaff, Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP
VICE PRESIDENT: Brent F. Strong, Harris Precision Mold Utah
VICE PRESIDENT: William D. Arendt, Genovique Specialties
VICE PRESIDENT: Olivier Crave, O.C. Team (France)
VICE PRESIDENT: Dr. Raed S. Al-Zubi, Advanced Composites
2009-2010 PAST PRESIDENT: Dr. Paul G. Andersen, Coperion Corporation
Ken Braney: Extensive Background with SPE in Europe
"Ken is the first president of SPE who has come through the ranks of an SPE European group-namely the European Thermoforming Division," said Susan Oderwald. "While SPE has had a number of distinguished presidents whose origins were not American, they all resided in the U.S. or Canada and came through the Society's leadership ranks through groups in those countries."
An SPE member since 1995, Braney most recently held the positions of president-elect in 2009-2010, senior vice president in 2008-2009, and treasurer of the Society from 2007-2008. He has been involved with the SPE European Thermoforming Division from its conception, holding the position of chair for 4 years, and in 2005-2006 he was the Chair of SPE Europe, responsible for registering SPE as a legal entity in Europe and ensuring that support is in place to nurture and grow all geographic Sections and technical Divisions in the region. SPE Europe will hold the first SPE EUROTEC Conference in Barcelona Spain in November 2011.
Braney joined the plastics industry more than 30 years ago. He has held marketing and general management positions in the UK and Europe and also lived and worked in the U.S.A. (Michigan) for several years as general manager and commercial director of two North American divisions of multinational companies. Upon returning to Europe, he served a U.S.-based machinery supplier for thirteen years as a director for Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and India.
Russell Broome: Focus on Attracting Students and Young Professionals to SPE
"Because attracting and retaining young people as members is a key strategic issue for SPE, Russell's participation in our core leadership team is particularly important," said Oderwald. "He has worked tirelessly on student and young-professional issues for the Society."
"For the past 18 years, I have been very involved with SPE's Piedmont-Coastal Section as well as at the global governance level," Broome said. "I originally joined SPE as a Student Member after being invited to a Section meeting by my father, and I immediately discovered many advantages in SPE membership. This experience solidified my decision to pursue a career in the plastics industry. Two years after joining SPE, I graduated with a Mechanical Engineering degree from North Carolina State University."
Prior to joining PolyOne, Broom successfully ran his own business and worked for both small local companies and global corporations.
THE SOCIETY OF PLASTICS ENGINEERS (SPE) is the premier source of peer-reviewed technical information for plastics professionals. Founded in 1942, SPE takes action every day to help companies in the plastics industry succeed by spreading knowledge, strengthening skills, and promoting plastics. Employing these vital strategies, SPE has helped the plastics industry thrive for over 60 years. SPE has become the recognized medium of communication among scientists, engineers, and technical personnel engaged in the development, conversion, and application of plastics. For more information, please visit www.4spe.org.
