Leadership Summary

Jae Sup (JS) Lee

President and CEO

Mr. Lee is Columbian’s President and CEO. He joined the company in March 2006 bringing with him over 30 years of experience with DC Chemical Co., where he held various positions in manufacturing, planning and business development, research and technology, sales, and marketing. Most recently, he led DC Chemical's business division II, which includes products such as coal tar chemicals, BTX, phthalic anhydride and carbon black, among others. Mr. Lee has extensive experience working in joint ventures, both as the representative director of Kosxon Chemicals Co., a joint venture with Exxon Mobile for manufacturing plasticizers, and as chairman of the board of Kosvida Co., a joint venture with Vietnam Pesticide Co. He holds a bachelor of science in chemistry and a master of science in industrial management from Yonsei University in Seoul. Additionally, he completed an advanced industrial strategy program at Seoul University, and he is currently the President of the 73-year-old International Tar Association.

James (Jim) Howard

President, North America Region and Senior Vice President, Global Marketing & Sales  

Mr. Howard has responsibility for leading and overseeing all sales, marketing and carbon-black technology functions aimed at achieving volume, growth and profitability in Columbian’s market segments.  He joined Columbian Chemicals in 2003.  Howard has over 20 years experience in the chemical industry, most recently with Solutia (formerly Monsanto) as the vice president of business management, marketing and planning for the integrated nylon business segment. In addition his experience includes positions in general management, business process re-engineering and international business management, having lived and worked in Europe for a number of years.  Howard holds two Bachelor of Science degrees (Chemistry and Physical Geography) and a Master of Science (Physical Geography) from McMaster University - Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Changhoon (CH) Lee

President, Asia Region

Mr. Lee joined Columbian in July 2006 bringing with him over 30 years experience in the chemical industry, most recently he served as vice president with OCIC (Oriental Chemical Industries Corporation). He began his carrier with DC Chemical Co., where he held various positions in purchasing, sales, operation, and general management. He has extensive experience working in Prime White Cement Company in the Philippines, a joint venture with DC Chemical. In addition he worked in the largest domestic waste-water treatment manufacturer, Eyang Chemical, a joint venture between DC Chemical and SNF in France. In 1993, he was named the president of OCIC Hong Kong and promoted to the president of East Asia Region in 1997. Mr. Lee extended his experience and knowledge of international business and Asian business market, having lived and worked through out the Asia for a number of years. He received a bachelor of science in material science & engineering from Hanyang University in Seoul, Korea.

 Heinz Derber

President, Europe Region

Mr. Derber joined Columbian in 1988 as Project Engineer for Europe. At that time, he brought with him 11 years of experience from companies in the natural gas and oil industries, as well as international engineering. Throughout his career with Columbian he has held positions of increasing responsibility, including Director of Supply Chain for Europe and Director of Manufacturing for Eurasia. Mr. Derber holds a degree as Dipl.-Ing. from Technical College in Hanover for Chemical Process Engineering.

Antonio Quaresma 

President, South America Region

Mr. Quaresma joined Columbian in 1968, and during his tenure with Copebras, a company founded by Columbian Carbon Company and whose carbon black operations were re-acquired by Columbian Chemicals Brazil in 1998, Mr. Quaresma has held a series of leadership positions in technical, operations, sales and supply chain. He worked at the Cubatão Plant as the Environmental Control Manager; in Sao Paulo, as the South American Sales Manager; at Headquarters as the Vice President of Global Supply Chain; and in Brazil as President of Columbian Chemicals Brazil. Mr. Quaresma holds bachelor of science degrees in chemical and mechanical engineering from Santa Cecilia University, where he also has completed post-graduate work in economics engineering.

Mark Breen

Senior Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer

Mr. Breen is Columbian’s chief financial officer. Before his promotion to vice president in 2001, Mr. Breen had served as controller since joining Columbian Chemicals in 1997. Earlier, he was the Group Controller for the Cleaver-Brooks Division of Aqua Chem. in Wisconsin. Mr. Breen began his career with Sundstrand Aerospace in Illinois, where he held positions in the areas of operations and cost management, financial systems, general accounting, and financial planning and analysis. Breen holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a master’s degree in management information systems from Northern Illinois University. He is a Certified Public Accountant in the state of Illinois.

Gary Juno

Vice President – Legal & Safety, Health & Environmental Affairs, General Counsel

Mr. Juno joined Columbian Chemicals in 1977 at Cities Service, Columbian's then-parent company, as a tax analyst.  He has held positions of increasing responsibility in the  tax, environmental and legal departments. In 1996, he was named general counsel and director-environmental affairs, and was promoted to vice president legal and general counsel in 1999 and was named to his current position in July of 2002. Juno holds bachelor's degrees in psychology and accounting from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, an MBA in business and a JD in law from the University of Tulsa. Juno is a member of the Oklahoma Bar Association.

Jas Sandhu

 Vice President, Global Marketing

Mr. Sandhu joined the Columbian Chemicals Leadership Team in late 2000. Prior to becoming vice president, global marketing, Mr. Sandhu was director of marketing and sales for Asia. Sandhu joined Columbian Chemicals in 1991 as a technical sales representative at Columbian’s manufacturing facility in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. In 1995, he was promoted to Canadian sales manager. In 1996, Sandhu became manager of marketing and sales for Asia and relocated to Malaysia to help increase Columbian’s presence in Asia region and to establish an Asian marketing and sales organization. In 1998, he was promoted to director. Sandhu holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from McMaster University in Ontario, Canada and  he completed the Asia Pacific Executive MBA program at the National University of Singapore.