The Board of Directors of KRATON Polymers recently appointed one of its members to the position of CEO. George B. Gregory succeeds Stephen M. Wood, who is transitioning from CEO to the role of vice chairman. Private investment firms Texas Pacific Group (TPG) and JPMorgan Partners (JPMP), the private equity arm of J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., purchased KRATON Polymers from Ripplewood Holdings LLC in Dec. 2003. Gregory comes to KRATON from KoSa, one of the world's largest producers of polyester resins, fibers and intermediates, where he served as CEO and president. While there, Gregory spearheaded the transformation of KoSa into a standalone, low-cost, entrepreneurial leader in its industry. KoSa's revenues exceeded $2 billion in 2003, with 15 plants in five countries and more than 6,000 employees. Gregory left KoSa in April 2004 when the firm merged with Invista and relocated its headquarters to Wichita, KS. Gregory previously held various positions at Koch Industries, Inc., Monitor Co. and DuPont. He holds an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a B.A. in Chemistry from Harvard College.