Chemical distributor Palmer Holland restructures Executive Team

Palmer Holland, a North American specialty chemical and fine ingredient distributor, is restructuring its Executive Team.

Palmer Holland has appointed Ron Zmich as senior vice president of Industrial Specialties, Bret Horace as vice president of Consumer & Life Sciences, Jaycie Bradshaw as chief human resources officer, and Kristin Engler as senior director of Customer Experience, effective May 1, 2023.

“These appointments represent an important step forward for Palmer Holland as we continue to invest in creating and sustaining profitable growth for our principals, customers, and employee-owners,” said Vince Misiti, CEO of Palmer Holland. 

“With the establishment of the Industrial Specialties and Consumer & Life Sciences segments, we are creating the necessary market focus to support the different needs of these two strong sources of growth and transformation for Palmer Holland. Similarly, as we build out our HR organisation under Jaycie’s leadership, it will enable us to better attract, develop, and retain the strong talent we will need going forward, just as our continuous improvement efforts in Customer Experience will allow us to provide the unmatchable service that our partners have come to expect.”

Zmich is an accomplished sales and business development professional with a successful career spanning three decades in specialty chemicals. In his new role as head of Industrial Specialties, Zmich will lead the development and execution of strategies to serve the markets of Coatings, Adhesives, Sealants, and Elastomers (CASE), Plastics, and Lubricants. Zmich has leveraged his strong communication and interpersonal skills throughout his career to establish lasting relationships with customers, suppliers, and industry stakeholders. He has been instrumental in the growth of Palmer Holland’s CASE business, and his extensive experience and industry knowledge make him well-suited to lead the Industrial Specialties segment.

Horace has demonstrated his expertise in strategic account management, sales leadership, and new business development. With almost 25 years of experience in sales and marketing leadership roles, he has a proven track record of driving revenue growth and expanding market share by leveraging his in-depth knowledge of the food ingredient industry. Horace will be responsible for expanding the company’s current efforts in the Health & Nutrition industry to include a broader Consumer & Life Sciences portfolio. 

Bradshaw will be the first person to hold the chief human resources officer title at Palmer Holland. In this new role, she will be responsible for leading the company’s human resources function, including talent acquisition, employee development, and retention strategies. With more than 15 years of experience in HR leadership roles, Bradshaw’s appointment is part of Palmer Holland’s continued commitment to attracting and retaining top talent across the organisation. 

With more than 20 years of commercial experience, Kristin Engler, senior director of Customer Experience, has been recognised for her leadership, vision, and commitment to excellence. She is a passionate advocate for the specialty chemical and ingredients industries and is dedicated to driving growth and innovation in this dynamic and ever-changing field. In her new role, Engler will oversee the company’s efforts to enhance customer experience across all touchpoints.

The remaining executive team members, Matt Brewer, CFO, and Charlie Laurie, CIO, will also play pivotal roles in the strategic growth of Palmer Holland. As part of this organisational restructuring, the company will expand Brewer’s leadership scope to include supply chain, risk management, legal, and compliance functions in addition to the finance organisation, further strengthening Palmer Holland’s stability and business control. Laurie will continue to lead the company’s efforts to implement innovative digital solutions and transformation around enterprise resource management, technology leadership, marketing communication, and inside sales.