Wilbur-Ellis named John L. Buckley as President and CEO

Wilbur-Ellis announced recently that it has named John L. Buckley president and chief executive, succeeding John P. Thacher.

Buckley, who comes to Wilbur-Ellis after serving as chief executive of the U.S. subsidiary of France's Air Liquide, will officially take over as president and CEO on January 1, 2018. Thacher, who has overseen significant growth at Wilbur-Ellis since taking over as president and CEO in 2006, will transition into his new role as executive chairman of the board.

"This is a planned change and an exciting opportunity for Wilbur-Ellis, and I appreciate the board's strong engagement in this process over the past year," said Thacher. "John's global experience and extensive background in key industries, and his ability to work collaboratively internally and externally across complex businesses, will be a great asset to Wilbur-Ellis."

Buckley's career spans four decades, during which he has held key roles in engineering, manufacturing and sales. Prior to joining Air Liquide, Buckley held leadership positions at Rohm & Haas Co. and Dow Chemical, including serving as president of the AgroFresh and Angus Chemical businesses. John also serves on the board of Michelman Inc., an international, family-owned, specialty chemical business with headquarters located in Cincinnati.

"Wilbur-Ellis is a 97-year-old, family-owned business that is as committed to growth and innovation as it is to service and integrity," Buckley said. "I look forward to working closely with John as we make this transition, in partnership with employees, customers and suppliers."

As executive chairman, Thacher will work closely with Buckley on corporate strategy, and he will also be very engaged in providing support for key strategic initiatives. Additionally, Thacher will facilitate communication between the Company leadership and the family owners, as well as chair the board and its executive committee.

Buckley has a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Villanova University, and is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese. During his career, he has worked in several locations in the U.S., as well as in Mexico and Brazil.