Air Products Announces Executive Changes

LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa., April 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Air Products (NYSE: APD) recently made the following executive moves:

Kevin B. Michaelis has been appointed vice president, Information Technology, and chief information officer. In this role, he has overall responsibility for the company's global information technology activities. Michaelis joined Air Products in 1989 as a project engineer in the company's Gases and Equipment Group. He subsequently held positions of increasing responsibility in the company's Chemicals and Electronics divisions. In 2006 Michaelis was named general manager, Global Generated Gases, followed by general manager, Worldwide Equipment. Most recently, he was located in Hersham, U.K., where he served as regional vice president, Liquid Bulk/Generated Gases‒Europe. Michaelis received a B.S. degree in chemical engineering from Drexel University in 1984 and an M.B.A. from Temple University in 1992.

Richard Boocock has been appointed vice president, Global Operations. In this role, he is responsible for the worldwide leadership and management of Air Products' gases, chemicals and electronics manufacturing operations. Boocock joined Air Products in 1982 as a participant in the company's Career Development Program. Following some engineering and R&D assignments where he worked on a variety of international projects, Boocock was assigned to lead the European Electronics Division in 1995 and the European Global Information Technology function in 2000. In 2001 he was assigned to Air Products' corporate headquarters in the U.S. as global program lead for the implementation of SAP into Air Products worldwide. He returned to Europe in 2004 as vice president, Tonnage Gases Europe and Middle East, and most recently served as vice president, Information Technology, and chief information officer. Boocock graduated from Birmingham University in 1982 with a B.S. degree in chemical engineering and later received an M.B.A. from Henley Management College.

Joseph M. Pietrantonio has been named vice president, Environment, Health, Safety & Quality, and corporate chief engineer. He is responsible for managing technical risks at a corporate level, and cultivating and developing technical skills and careers at Air Products. Pietrantonio joined Air Products in 1982 as a participant in the company's Career Development Program. In his early career, he was responsible for the sale of air separation equipment in northern Asia. He subsequently managed the onsite businesses for the General Industries and Metals groups before moving to Global Engineering, where he managed product supply for Generated Gases. In 2002 Pietrantonio transferred to Hersham, U.K., where he was named general manager, European Engineering and Manufacturing, and was appointed vice president, Global Engineering‒Europe the following year. He later returned to the U.S. were he was appointed vice president, Global Operations-Americas in 2004 and vice president, Global Operations in 2007. Pietrantonio received B.S. and M.S. degrees in chemical engineering from Lehigh University in 1982 and 1986, respectively. He attended Stanford's Executive Program in 2007 and holds two U.S. patents.

Complete biographies and downloadable photos are available at www.airproducts.com/company/company-overview/leadership.aspx.

Air Products (NYSE: APD) provides atmospheric, process and specialty gases; performance materials; equipment; and technology. For over 70 years, the company has enabled customers to become more productive, energy efficient and sustainable. More than 18,000 employees in over 40 countries supply innovative solutions to the energy, environment and emerging markets. These include semiconductor materials, refinery hydrogen, coal gasification, natural gas liquefaction, and advanced coatings and adhesives. In fiscal 2011, Air Products had sales of approximately $10 billion. For more information, visit www.airproducts.com. 

NOTE: This release may contain forward-looking statements within the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on management's reasonable expectations and assumptions as of the date of this release regarding important risk factors. Actual performance and financial results may differ materially from projections and estimates expressed in the forward-looking statements because of many factors not anticipated by management, including risk factors described in the Company's Form 10K for its fiscal year ended September 30, 2011.

SOURCE Air Products