Gelest Appoints Jim Whitlock to Newly Created Chief Operations Officer Position

Executive team expansion to continue to drive operations excellence and growth

Gelest Inc., an innovator in materials science and technology and a New Mountain Capital portfolio company, has appointed Jim Whitlock to the newly created position of Chief Operations Officer, effective immediately, to deepen its senior leadership team in conjunction with the company’s continuing growth. 

“Jim has over 30 years of experience in the silicone business, including roles as senior vice president and corporate vice president with Dow Corning in its Core Products Business and Global Manufacturing & Engineering Operations, and he is joining Gelest at a pivotal time,” said Ken Gayer, Chief Executive Officer of Gelest.  “The expansion of our senior leadership team reflects Gelest’s commitment to operational excellence and growth as a globally-recognized leading innovator and manufacturer of highly value-added advanced materials.  With Jim’s appointment, we look forward to improving customer satisfaction and operational performance in every respect and accelerating our growth in advanced technology end markets with the support of our partners at New Mountain Capital.”

Mr. Whitlock joins Gelest from Honeywell, where he served as vice president of Integrated Supply Chain for their Performance Materials & Technology business Group.

Mr. Whitlock said, “I look forward to working with my new colleagues, driving operations excellence to position the Company for profitable and sustainable growth, and positively contributing to the Company’s strategic priorities. I am excited to apply my extensive experience to help the Company achieve greater results and drive value.”

Mr. Whitlock graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree from The Ohio State University.