Peter T. Thomas | Jeffrey L. Rutherford | Mark H. Duesenberg | Ann E. Killian

Peter Thomas was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer in April 2013.  He also joined the Board as a director at that time. Mr. Thomas had been Operating Vice President of Ferro's Polymer and Ceramic Engineered Materials Group, which includes its Polymer Additives, Specialty Plastics, Tile Coatings, Porcelain Enamel, and Pharmaceuticals businesses. He began his career with Ferro in 2000 as Director of Sales for Polymer Additives. He has held increasingly responsible positions, including Commercial Director for Performance and Fine Chemicals, then Operating Vice President for the Company’s Organic Specialties businesses..

Prior to joining Ferro, Mr. Thomas was Vice President of the Oleochemical-Derivatives business unit for Witco Corporation. He also held positions as Vice President of Sales and Global Market Director. Before joining Witco, he was Executive Vice President for Inland Leidy Chemical Distribution, Business Manager for GAF Corporation, and prior to that with Noxell Corporation.

Mr. Thomas earned his Master of Business Administration degree in marketing from Loyola College, Baltimore, Maryland and his Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is a member of the International Pharmaceutical Excipients Council, Soap and Detergents Association, the Society of Plastics Engineers, and the American Production and Inventory Control Society. He is also a member of the board of directors of Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturers Association and is Ferro's executive contact for the American Chemistry Council.

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Jeffrey L. Rutherford
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Jeffrey L. Rutherford joined Ferro as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in April 2012.  He is responsible for Ferro’s financial operations, including accounting, treasury, tax, budgeting, investor relations, corporate development, and internal audit. He is also responsible for the Company's Information Services (IS) operations.

Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Rutherford served as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Park-Ohio Holdings Corp., an industrial supply chain logistics and diversified manufacturing business, since 2008. From 2007 until 2008, he served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of UAP Holding Corp., an independent distributor of agricultural inputs and professional non-crop products. Mr. Rutherford previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer of LESCO, Inc., a provider of professional turf care products and a division of John Deere & Co., from 2005 to 2007, and as LESCO’s Chief Financial Officer from 2002 to 2005. From 1998 to 2002, he was Senior Vice President, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer of OfficeMax, Inc., an office products company.  Prior to joining OfficeMax, he spent 14 years with the accounting firm Arthur Andersen & Co.

Mr. Rutherford earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration/Accounting from Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio.

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Mark H. Duesenberg
Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

Mark H. Duesenberg is Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, with responsibility for the legal affairs of Ferro Corporation and its subsidiaries worldwide. 

Prior to joining Ferro in 2008, Mr. Duesenberg served as Executive Director, Legal and Government Affairs for Lenovo Group Ltd. in Washington, DC, and as Lenovo’s Legal Director—Europe, Middle East and Africa, in London.  From 1999 to 2005, he held positions of increasing responsibility in the law department of Invensys plc, in London. Prior to his corporate law roles, Mr. Duesenberg was an attorney at Hughes Hubbard & Reed and the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, DC, and served as a law clerk to the Hon. Pasco Bowman of the U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit.

Mr. Duesenberg received his Juris Doctorate degree from Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and a bachelor’s degree from Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana.

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Ann E. Killian
Vice President, Human Resources

Ann E. Killian is Vice President, Human Resources with worldwide responsibility for the human resources function.  Prior to joining Ferro in 2005, Ms. Killian was Vice President, Human Resources for W.W. Holdings, LLC, a privately owned, $350 million manufacturer and distributor of commercial construction products.

Ms. Killian began her career with TRW, Inc. where she spent 21 years. There, she held numerous positions of increasing responsibility, including Vice President, Compensation and Benefits at the time the company was acquired by Northrop Grumman. Prior to that, Ms. Killian was Vice President, Organizational Effectiveness at the company’s Cleveland headquarters and Vice President, Human Resources for the Avionics and Surveillance Group in San Diego, California.

Ms. Killian earned her Master of Business Administration in Personnel Management from Cornell University and Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Buffalo State College. She is a member of the boards of trustees for the Hunger Network of Greater Cleveland and the Cleveland Leadership Center.

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