Orion S.A., a global specialty chemicals manufacturer, announced the appointment of Natalia Scherbakoff as chief technology officer. She will succeed David Deters, who led a global innovation program in sustainable materials and battery additives for nearly a decade. Deters will remain with Orion through the end of 2024 to ensure a smooth transition.

Scherbakoff joins Orion from Trinseo, where she served as vice president of Technology & Innovation, focusing on sustainability and circular solutions. She also supported growth initiatives and mergers and acquisitions and was a member of Trinseo’s Corporate Environmental, Social and Governance Council.

“Natalia has broad global experience, a track record of moving ideas through the development process to successful product launches and commercial savvy. She combines strong people skills with a passion for driving innovation and achieving tangible outcomes,” Orion CEO Corning Painter said. “She is arriving at an exciting time here at Orion and I am looking forward to her building on the success we have had under David’s leadership in batteries, circular products, coatings and other customer applications.”

Scherbakoff will be based at Orion’s main innovation hub in Cologne, Germany, overseeing the company’s technical centers in China, South Korea and the U.S. She will also lead Orion’s €12.8 million investment to develop a climate-neutral process for carbon black production from alternative carbon sources, with €6.4 million in funding from the German government and European Union.