Columbian promotes Robyn Hooker to Director of Information Services

December 18, 2006

Columbian Chemicals Co. promoted Robyn Hooker to Director of Information Services. In this position, Hooker is responsible for leading a global team employees to maintain and develop the infrastructure of Columbian’s technology systems and to lead the strategic Information Services plans.

“Since joining Columbian Robyn has consistently demonstrated her understanding of the business and the importance of the customer,” said Mark Breen, senior vice president of finance and CFO. “I am confident that Robyn will continue to move our infrastructure forward, meeting the challenges of our growth into Bahia, Brazil, and Asia in 2007.”

Hooker joined Columbian in June 2004 as Business Systems Manager, and in June 2006 she was promoted to Director of Business Systems and Program Management. In these prior roles she was responsible for all enterprise-wide business applications, including the company’s intranet and internet web sites.

“Robyn has consistently provided strong leadership to the Columbian’s Information Services team,” said Scott Anderson, solutions architect. “This role will allow her to bring those skills directly to the global enterprise.”

The promotion to Director of Information Services became effective December 15, 2006, and Hooker will continue reporting to Mark Breen. She holds a bachelor of science in Industrial Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia.

“Columbian is in the process of rapidly expanding the business, and the efficiency of our technology systems becomes ever more important,” said Jae Sup Lee, senior vice president of operations and interim president and CEO. “We look forward to Robyn’s leadership in this critical area.”

Columbian Chemicals Co. is one of the world’s leading producers of carbon black – an engineered material that improves the strength, durability and overall performance of a range of products including tires and other mechanical rubber goods, as well as inks, paints, plastics and coatings. The company is the only major global carbon black manufacturer to have earned the ISO 14001 certification, an internationally recognized standard for environmental management, at all of its manufacturing facilities.

Based in Marietta, Georgia, Columbian Chemicals Co. owns and operates 11 carbon black manufacturing facilities in Brazil, Canada, England, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Korea, Spain and the United States, employing about 1,300 people worldwide.