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Dr. Thomas M. Von Lehman
Managing Director
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Dr. Von Lehman is a seasoned executive with over 25 years of management experience in the chemicals and materials processing industries. In addition to general management, he has an extensive background in a broad array of functional areas including purchasing and distribution, corporate planning, research and development, commercial development and international marketing. His general management experience includes a variety of specialty chemical businesses, including fine chemicals, inorganic fillers and pigments, agricultural and pharmaceutical chemicals, and optical products on a global basis. He also served as CEO during the two-year turnaround of a middle market, publicly-traded consumer products company. In addition, he has had functional experience in industries such as architectural and automotive glass, fiberglass and a wide range of coatings and resins market segments.
Dr. Von Lehman joined The Meridian Group in October of 2001. From March 2004 through May 2006, he served as CEO and President of R. G. Barry Corporation, a $100 million publicly-traded comfort footwear company. Prior to that assignment, he worked on a variety of turnaround projects for middle market companies in industries such as building materials, steel fabrication, engineering services and general construction. He has also managed two companies for which The Meridian Group was the court-appointed receiver.
Before consulting, Dr. Von Lehman was Vice President, Specialty
Chemicals, for PPG Industries Inc. from 1996 to 2001. In this
capacity he was responsible for the strategic direction and operations
of three global strategic business units with revenues in excess
of $600 million. The largest of these businesses was Transitions® Optical,
which produces and markets Transitions photochromic lenses to
the eyewear market. During his tenure, sales for these businesses
increased by over 50% as a result of geographic expansion, several successful
new product introductions and acquisitions.
Prior to this role, Dr. Von Lehman was Vice President Purchasing and Distribution for PPG on a global basis from 1994 to 1996. The responsibilities of this position included the annual procurement of over $4 billion of goods and services used by all of PPG’s businesses. From 1993 to 1994, he was Director of Corporate Planning for PPG with responsibility for managing the long range and annual planning process for the individual strategic business units as well as the corporation as a whole.
Before joining PPG in 1980, Dr. Von Lehman had five years experience at Stauffer Chemical Company, with positions in research and development, technology planning and business analysis.
Dr. Von Lehman has an undergraduate degree in chemistry from Thomas More College and his doctorate in chemistry from the University of Cincinnati, with a year postdoctoral appointment at the University of Michigan.
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