LION ELASTOMERS LEADERSHIP
stands strong with cross-disciplined, industry-experienced leaders dedicated to quality, environmental sustainability, customer partnership and product development.Kho Irani
President & CEO
Kho joined the Lion team after more than 17 years at ExxonMobil where he held a variety of management positions, including roles as Global Marketing Manager of EPDM and Global Tire Technology Manager. Kho holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Rice University and earned his Master of Business Administration degree from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas.
Bhavesh Shah
Vice President, Technology
Bhavesh Shah has over 15 years of polymer experience. During this time, he has had progressive responsibilities in various technical and managerial roles. Bhavesh received his Ph.D. in the field of Polymer Composites from Michigan State University. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Technology from North Maharashtra University and a Master’s degree in Polymer Engineering and Technology from the Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, India.
Gary Niernberger
Vice President, Purchasing
Gary has more than 15 years of experience in petrochemical purchasing. Prior to joining Lion Elastomers, he worked for INVISTA as the global sourcing commercial leader for bulk raw material commodities and led the sourcing analysis and strategy efforts. Gary holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Friends University in Kansas and a Master of Business Administration degree from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California.
Russell Otter
Vice President, Supply Chain Management
Russell has 30 years of supply chain experience working at various on chemical and polymer companies including Kraton and BYK. Russell has held a variety of positions including supply chain advisor, head of supply planning, and global supply chain manager. Russell holds both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Chemical Engineering from Texas A&M University.
George Panagopoulos
Vice President, Sales
George joined the Lion team after more than 22 years at ExxonMobil Chemical in Commercial leadership positions in the EPDM, TPV, Plastomers and Polyethylene businesses. His most recent role was Regional Sales Manager- Americas for the EPDM and Santoprene businesses. Prior to working with Exxon, he worked for Dow Chemical and Himont. He held management roles in technology and licensing. George has a B.S. and M. S. in Plastics Engineering from the University of Mass-Lowell and an MBA from the University of Delaware.
David Durr
Corporate, Environmental Health and Safety
David has over a decade of experience managing and improving environmental, health, and safety programs within the chemical manufacturing industry. Prior to joining Lion, he spent the majority of his career at BASF, where he held roles of increasing EHS responsibility. David holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Lamar University and is a Certified Safety Professional (CSP).