C. Kees Verhaar

Chairman of the Board

Kees Verhaar is the Chairman of the Board of VANGEST and also serves as the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of TenCate Protective Fabrics.

He has over 30 years of executive experience, with in depth knowledge of manufacturing. He was the CEO and President of Arizona Chemical Company, LLC, a leading global producer of high-value performance products and specialty chemicals derived from non-hydrocarbon, renewable raw materials. As CEO he oversaw $1 billion in revenue and over 1,000 employees, leading the company through its acquisition in 2016 by Kraton Polymers for over $1.3 billions. He previously served as President of the Epoxy & Coatings Division of Hexion Specialty Chemicals. Before joining Hexion in 2006, he served in senior management positions at companies that included Noveon Inc, Johnson Polymer, DeVoe Coatings, and ESHA Group. He served from 2017 to 2019 as the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Avantium N.V., a leading chemical technology company focused on renewable chemistry.

Kees received a Master of Economics from the University of Amsterdam.