LOVELAND, OH — The Board of Directors of Sirrus Inc. announced that Kenta Kanaida, currently a Sirrus Director, will be appointed as the company’s new President and Chief Executive Officer in the first quarter of 2020 subject to board approval. Effective immediately, Jeff Uhrig, President and CEO since 2013, will resign to pursue other opportunities.
“My six years as CEO have been a privilege. In that time, we’ve made great strides in bringing our unique methylene malonate monomers technology to commercial scale. We’ve achieved our goals of dramatically expanding our intellectual property portfolio, advancing the application of methylene malonates in new industries and hiring an incredibly talented group of individuals passionate about this unique chemistry,” said Uhrig. “Sirrus is now well positioned to enter the commercial phase.”
“I look forward to joining Sirrus and working closely with this great team,” said Kanaida. “It will be my pleasure to work at the frontline of methylene malonate technology. I believe we will be the first company to commercialize this new chemistry — putting us in the best position to work with excellent partners and customers around the world.”
Kanaida has a Master’s Degree in Polymer and Interface Science from Kobe University and brings more than 30 years of polymer science experience to Sirrus. In addition to being a board member for Sirrus since 2017, Kanaida has held multiple positions in marketing and R&D for Nippon Shokubai, a global chemical company of which Sirrus is a wholly owned subsidiary.
