Sandra Breene, currently President Health Care and Crop Care at Croda, will assume the role of President Personal Care and Actives as of January 1, 2016 succeeding Kevin Gallagher who will retire at the same date, after almost four decades with the company.

Breene joined the Croda Europe office in 1990 as a Research and Development Chemist. In 1993 she began her commercial career in sales for Croda’s Personal Care and Health Care markets, followed by a promotion to European Sales Manager. Breene has held a variety of management roles in Croda offices around the world and in various market sectors in recent years, expanding her experience and knowledge base. She moved to Singapore in 2001 where she was Sales and Marketing Director for 5 years, responsible for developing business in all market sectors. In 2006 she returned to the UK as Sales and Marketing Director for the Health Care business becoming next the VP Sales and Marketing, Personal Care, for Croda Europe. In 2012, Breene was appointed onto the Executive Committee of Croda International as President, Consumer Care Europe.

It is an honour to be chosen to succeed Kevin in this position. He leaves a legacy of innovation within Croda’s Personal Care business and the industry itself. I look forward to the opportunity of delivering and developing our strategy as the leader in sustainable innovation for the Personal Care market, further building on the excellent positioning that Kevin has nurtured for Croda,” said Breene.

Kevin Gallagher started as an applications chemist in 1978, and held positions in R&D, quality assurance, sales, and marketing before moving into general management in 1989. He has been President - Croda North America from 1999 to present, and has served on the Executive Committee of Croda International Plc. from 2007. Having chaired Croda’s Personal Care Steering Group from its inception in 2004, he became the first President of Croda’s Global Personal Care and Actives business, when the group structure was changed in 2014. He is co-inventor on seven patents held by Croda.