Avantor Names New President & CEO


Avantor Performance Materials recently announced the appointment of John M. Steitz as President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Steitz assumes these roles from Avantor Chairman Rajiv L. Gupta, who had been serving as the company’s CEO. Mr. Gupta remains Chairman of the Board of Avantor, which is owned by an affiliate of New Mountain Capital.

Mr. Steitz, 54, brings more than 30 years of experience in the field of specialty chemical manufacturing to his new role at Avantor. Most recently, he served as President and Chief Operating Officer at Albemarle Corporation, a global chemical manufacturing company based in Baton Rouge, LA. Prior to joining Albemarle in 2000, he was Vice President and General Manager of the Pharmaceutical Chemicals division at Mallinckrodt, Inc. He earned his MBA from Southern Illinois University and his BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Missouri.

“We’re pleased at the opportunity to have John and his capabilities in this key role at Avantor,” Mr. Gupta said. “He is a proven leader who has demonstrated throughout his career an exceptional ability to manage growth initiatives and work with employees to serve customers, improve operations, and maximize profitability. His leadership, business management, and administration experience will be a great asset to Avantor’s development as a world-class supplier and partner with our customers.”

“We look forward to working with John as we continue to support an aggressive growth strategy for Avantor. The company is well positioned for long-term success, and we are enthusiastic about the possibilities under John’s leadership,” added Matt Holt, Managing Director of New Mountain Capital.

In his role as President and CEO, Mr. Steitz will oversee all aspects of Avantor’s global operations in its four business areas: Laboratory Products, Pharmaceuticals, Electronic Materials, and Diagnostics. He will be based at Avantor’s global corporate headquarters in Center Valley, PA. For more information, visit www.avantormaterials.com.