Loveland, OH – Chemical manufacturer Sirrus has named Robert Goodnight its new president and CEO, effective immediately.
Kenta Kanaida, who has served as president and CEO since January 2020, will take on a new role as executive officer of innovation and business development for Sirrus parent company, Nippon Shokubai.
A chemical engineer, Goodnight brings more than 30 years of operations, sales and business development experience to Sirrus. His chemical and process engineering expertise extends across a broad range of industries—automotive, heavy-duty diesel, catalysis, pulp and paper, petrochemical, chemical and nuclear.
Over the course of his professional career, Goodnight has also implemented successful business improvement initiatives, including lean manufacturing tools like kanban, 5S and value stream mapping.
“I’m very excited to join the Sirrus team. This is a great opportunity to get involved with a truly disruptive technology,” said Goodnight. “Sirrus’ methylene malonates promise to change the game when it comes to the performance and sustainability of polymer-based products.”
In his new role at Nippon Shokubai, Kanaida will oversee three new business areas, including the methylene malonate business, which Sirrus developed.
Most recently, Goodnight served as the operations manager of a major global chemical producer. He holds a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in chemical engineering from the University of South Alabama, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Business School Netherlands International and an Executive MBA from Vlerick Leuven Management School.
Sirrus develops and supplies unique chemical building blocks for the next generation of high performance coatings, adhesives, sealants and composites. The company's patented technology focuses on methylene malonate monomers and oligomeric crosslinkers that can polymerize anionically at ambient temperatures.
The company works with development partners in the automotive, electronics, packaging and consumer goods industries to deliver sustainable products that will enhance energy efficiency, safety and performance.
