Former CEO returns to Buckman board
Leather chemicals manufacturer Buckman has announced the former chief executive, Bob Buckman, has been re-elected to the company’s board.
Bob Buckman is the son of the company’s founder, Stanley Buckman, and his career at the company has spanned nearly 50 years, including a previous tenure on the board. He was chief executive between 1978 and 2000.
On making the announcement, the company described him as an accomplished leader in the specialty chemical industry, but also as “a true pioneer in the field of knowledge management and knowledge sharing”. He is the author of ‘Building a Knowledge-Driven Organization’ and has been a board member of the American Productivity & Quality Center (APQC). He is also on the Board of Trustees at Christian Brothers University.
In 1989, Bob Buckman launched a knowledge network for Buckman, using information technology to transfer knowledge and expertise widely and quickly among the company’s associates across the world. This was enhanced in 1995 when K’Netix was created to further foster a culture of knowledge sharing that continues to this day.
His election by shareholders to rejoin the board was one of three appointments; Jacqueline Welch and Gregg Sutherland have also become part of the Buckman board, while James Shepherd has stepped down from it after 12 years’ service.
Jacqueline Welch is the chief human resource officer and chief diversity officer at Freddie Mac. She has more than 20 years’ experience in human resources, inclusion and diversity strategy and execution.
For his part, Gregg Sutherland is a recently retired strategy consulting partner with the global advisory firm Ernst & Young. During his 17 years with E&Y, his consulting work encompassed the chemical industry, including extensive work at Dow Chemical, and pulp and paper companies, including Kimberly-Clark and International Paper.
“We are pleased to welcome each of these individuals to our board of directors,” said chairman, Phil Shannon, at the time of the announcement. “Bob, Jacqueline and Gregg each bring unique experiences, skill sets and careers, but more importantly they possess the energy, desire and commitment to help Buckman achieve its ambitious goals. Their backgrounds and track records of delivering exceptional results will be invaluable to Buckman’s future successes.”
