US chemicals business Huntsman has lined up Julia Wright as its next general counsel, replacing David Stryker who is set to retire at the end of the year.
Wright is joining from oilfield and gas technology business ChampionX, where she was also GC. She brings with her significant experience running legal teams, with expertise in corporate governance, compliance, litigation, M&A, employment, IP and shareholder engagement. She will take up her new role on 13 October.
Texas-based Huntsman creates specialty chemicals such as polyurethanes, advanced materials and performance products for a range of industries, generating around $6bn in revenue last year.
Peter Huntsman, the company’s president, CEO and chairman, said: “The most senior lawyer at Huntsman Corporation has always played a vital role in our company far beyond ordinary course legal responsibilities and, during her tenure at ChampionX, Julia played a pivotal role in establishing and developing a full-service legal and compliance function, building talent at every level in the organisation.”
Wright arrives after almost eight years at ChampionX, which she joined from oil and gas drilling contractor Nabors Industries where she was also GC, among other legal roles. She also had spells in private practice at Baker McKenzie and Vinson & Elkins.
Stryker, meanwhile, is retiring after 12 years with Huntsman. He was previously GC and chief compliance officer at BASF for eight years and associate GC at Siemens Corporation for a decade. He started out in private practice at Kirkland & Ellis, where he worked his way up to partner.
He will remain on at the company until the end of the year, serving as executive vice president for strategic initiatives and supporting the GC transition.
Huntsman said: “David Stryker has served this company extraordinarily well during his tenure here as general counsel. By defending shareholder rights and collecting exceptional legal victories, David’s expertise has materially strengthened our balance sheet and added significant value. David’s tenacity and influence across our entire company has left us a far better company than we otherwise would have been.”
In other industrials-related in-house moves, back in July Air Products hired Matthew Lepore as GC from BASF, while in April, Swedish engineering giant Sandvik said it was hiring Johanna Kreft as its next legal chief from materials technology business Alleima.
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