Deng and Woods Join ChemQuest as Directors
Lan Deng and Jason Woods have both joined The ChemQuest Group in the role of director. (Photos courtesy of ChemQuest.)
The ChemQuest Group recently announced two additions—Lan Deng and Jason Woods—to its team of directors. Lan Deng, Ph.D., joins ChemQuest with over 15 years of experience in the chemical industry, having served in leadership roles in Dow Chemical, Sherwin Williams, and PPG across R&D, product management, and strategic planning. Most recently, she served as the global technical director for automotive OEM business within PPG, where she oversaw the global product development of all technologies, including pretreatment, E-coat, primer, basecoat, clearcoat, as well as adhesives and sealants.
“Our society is at a point when the next innovation wave is starting to pick up and accelerate,” she said. “There are tremendous opportunities in health care, sustainable energy and digital transformation. The companies that can seize the opportunity to ride these waves will have long-lasting competitive advantages in the decades to come. As a technology leader, I want to help more companies, public or private, to catch and ride these waves; I also want to help the capital market find the right growth opportunity to invest so that our whole economy can benefit. ChemQuest can provide me an opportunity to do just that. I look forward to partnering with my colleagues and clients to create sustainable innovation and growth for the society.”
Deng earned a B.E. degree in polymer materials and engineering from the University of Science and Technology of China, and a Ph.D. degree in chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley. She has co-authored six journal articles and holds 16 granted patents. Her industry recognition includes R&D 100 Awards and EPA’s Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award.
“We are fortunate to have someone with Dr. Deng’s depth of experience and capabilities join our team,” said Dan Murad, ChemQuest CEO. “Her passion for innovation, growth and job creation, and her strength in partnering with customers to create mutual value will help both ChemQuest and our clients to create win-win.”
Jason Woods brings 25 years of experience in the paint industry, having served in leadership roles in R&D, operations, and quality in a variety of customer segments. These include automotive OEM, automotive refinish, paint sundries, protective, and marine and architectural. Many of these functions also included international responsibilities in regions such as Asia, Europe, and South America.
After studying chemistry and political science at Virginia Tech, Woods began his career at PPG Industries in Cleveland, Ohio. After a variety of roles, including an expatriate assignment in Japan, he transitioned to Sherwin-Williams. There he progressed through multiple leadership roles in various divisions. His last two positions were responsible for the commercialization of North American architectural products and R&D for Latin American architectural programs.
“I've sought a diversity of experiences throughout my career in the paint industry,” Woods said. “I value the opportunity to work with great people in a variety of functional areas, business segments and geographies. The more I learned about ChemQuest from my colleagues, the more excited I was at the breadth of opportunities available. I am looking forward to partnering with them and their clients to help design and implement strategies to aid in innovation, commercialization, process efficiencies and organizational development.”
“We are fortunate to have someone with Jason’s depth of experience and capabilities join our team as our industry evolves into its new post-COVID normal,” Murad said. “Jason’s international experience, along with his deep understanding of end-use markets and client considerations will be of great value to our team.”
For more information, visit www.chemquest.com.
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