Charles Gray
Vice President Cabot Corporation
Cabot's primary interests are in Carbon Black, Fumed Silica, and Tantalum. In each of these Cabot is the global leader, co Leader, or number two. These products are dispersed in a composite material and the resulting material is then fabricated into a device. Most of Cabot's products are nanoparticles, but they go back well before "nano" was fashionable. All of these are sold for use in composite structures and their performance is measured both in the ease of processing and in the attributes of the finished product. During this period, Cabot has enjoyed considerable stock market success with its philosophy of "Investing in Ourselves."
For the last decade Cabot has pursued a dual strategy of producing standard products at low cost while offering high quality and reliability on the one hand while focusing on highly value added products which offer unique functionality and can command top dollar. Recent developments along this line have involved Cabot in semiconductor polishing slurries, ink jet pigments, and a very high density clear oil well drilling brine.
Dr. Gray will talk on the challenges of product and new business development in
this these industries.
Charles Gray was trained in classical chemical engineering with a BChE from Cornell and received a PhD from MIT. From MIT he joined FMC in Princeton in and worked for FMC in various capacities until 1990. During that period he was primarily in R&D, mostly with a process flavor, but with periods in operations, new product development and strategic planning. For his last five years at FMC he was Chief Technologist for
the Chemical Products Group.
In 1990 Gray moved to Cabot Corporation in Boston as VP of Technology. Cabot, at that time was a conglomerate of materials and energy businesses. Since then the energy holdings have been divested and the cash has been invested in the companies established business in performance materials.