LOVELAND, OH — Sirrus Inc. has named Robert Goodnight its new President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective immediately. Kenta Kanaida, President and CEO of Sirrus since January 2020, is taking on a new role as Executive Officer of Innovation and Business Development for Nippon Shokubai, a global chemical company of which Sirrus is a wholly owned subsidiary.
A chemical engineer, Goodnight brings more than 30 years of operations, sales and business development experience to Sirrus. His chemical and process engineering expertise extends across a broad range of industries — automotive, heavy-duty diesel, catalysis, pulp and paper, petrochemical, chemical, and nuclear. Over the course of his professional career, Goodnight has also implemented successful business improvement initiatives, including lean manufacturing tools like kanban, 5S and value stream mapping.
“I’m very excited to join the Sirrus team. This is a great opportunity to get involved with a truly disruptive technology,” said Goodnight. “Sirrus’ methylene malonates promise to change the game when it comes to the performance and sustainability of polymer-based products.”
In his new role at Nippon Shokubai, Kanaida will oversee three new business areas, including the methylene malonate business, which Sirrus developed. “I’m confident Robert’s operational experience and proven leadership skills will guide Sirrus to new levels of excellence. I look forward to working with him in the first commercialization of methylene malonate products,” said Kanaida.
Most recently, Goodnight served as the Operations Manager of a major global chemical producer.