Posted February 28, 2017

 

GREER, S.C. and PERTH, Australia – Alexium International Group Limited has appointed Dirk Van Hyning, Ph.D. as chief executive officer, effective from June 30th, 2017, replacing Nicholas Clark, who will remain on the board and assume the new role of Executive Director Strategy, reporting to the chairman.

 

Clark will also work closely with Van Hyning during this transition period.

 

Hyning joined the company in 2013 as senior research scientist and earned subsequent promotions to head of Product Development and Commercial Transition. He was appointed president in October 2014. As president, reporting to Clark, he was responsible for leading Alexium’s R&D, sales and business development, applications and corporate services to meet the company’s financial growth targets.

 

Before joining Alexium, Hyning was with Milliken Research Corporation, a global innovation company, where he began as a research engineer in 1999 and earned subsequent promotions to project management leader and Senior Development Engineer-Military and Protective Business.

 

Hyning received his Ph.D. and M.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and his B.S. in chemical engineering from North Carolina State University. He has received several honors and awards, including the Hans Kuhn Award for Outstanding Technology Commercialization and also holds four patents.

 

“I have had the pleasure of working with Dirk and watching him progress in his roles that took him from our senior research scientist to his most recent role as president and Deputy CEO,” said Gavin Rezos, chairman. “His technological expertise, insight, leadership and problem-solving skills have all been important factors to our company’s growth.”

 

Said Hyning: “Working in different roles at Alexium has helped me understand our technologies and market potential, providing me with the understanding and insight to capitalize on opportunities to drive shareholder value. I am excited about the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead of us. Having been mentored by Nick has been one of the great experiences of my career, and I look forward to working with him in his new role of executive director of Strategy and with the board of Alexium as we move the Company ahead to achieve many more milestones.”

 

As Executive Director Strategy, Clark will continue to provide strategic advice to the board, build upon the U.S. government relationships he has established, while fostering important additional relationships in Washington, D.C.

 

This is key to Alexium’s growth, as its product portfolio expands into new sectors such as electronics and building sectors in the world’s largest and most valuable market, the company said. Clark, will also continue completing the work on the NASDAQ listing.

 

“When Nick Clark joined Alexium in 2010, it was still very much a developmental company, and we are very grateful for Nick’s invaluable business acumen and drive to evolve Alexium into a successful revenue-producing enterprise with a range of specialty products,” Rezos said. “Nick has a valued presence on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. and has also recently been appointed an adjunct professor in International Business and Organizational Management at Marymount University, Arlington, Va. We are well placed to expand our market opportunities through Nick’s continued efforts to drive awareness of our award winning, performance enhancing and environmentally friendly products with legislators, regulators, thought leaders and industry strategists.”

 

Said Clark: “Succession planning is key to any companies success. Good leadership is about cultivating new leaders, and I look forward to my continued involvement with the company, and in working with Dirk during this transition. I am confident that Dirk, with his technological expertise, leadership, and depth of experience at Alexium, will catapult the company to its next levels of growth. I am excited to be able to dedicate more time to work for Alexium on Capitol Hill driving awareness of Alexium’s products and helping to shape industry responses to the environment, the defense sector and technology trends in the light of Alexium’s growing capabilities.”

 

Planned board changes

 

Craig Smith Gander recently retired from the board after seven years to focus on his Perth-based business.  As a result of his departure, Alexium’s strong U.S. growth profile, and the subsequent move towards a NASDAQ listing,  Alexium is appointing additional U.S. based non-executive directors who have diverse skills that will complement the current Board membership.

 

The Board is currently interviewing U.S.-based female potential non-executive directors to align the company towards best practice on diversity.

 

Pending the appointment of the new non-executive Director, the composition of board committees will be as follows:

 

• Nomination Committee: All board directors;

• Audit Committee: Chair – C. Metz. Members – Brigadier General S. Cheney, N. Clark; and

• Remuneration Committee: Chair – Brigadier General S. Cheney. Members – C. Metz, G. Rezos.

 

Source: Alexium International