Houghton Appoints Chief Human Resources Officer

Houghton International Inc. (Valley Forge, PA), a global leader in metalworking fluids and services, announces the appointment of Kym Johnson as chief human resources officer. Bringing over 23 years of experience in the chemical industry and 17 years of global human resources leadership, Johnson replaces Rich Lovely, who retired from the position in May 2015.

Johnson will be responsible for global human resources strategy and execution across five regions and a workforce of over 2,000 employees. She will be an influential member of the executive team and report to the chief executive officer, Paul DeVivo.

“Kym will be a valuable addition to our leadership team,” said DeVivo. “Her impressive experience managing global human resources in the chemical industry will enable her to lead important organizational initiatives to support our global business growth.”

Prior to joining Houghton, Johnson served as the vice president, human resources and CHRO of FMC Corporation, a global chemical company with over $4 billion in sales and more than 6,000 employees. She began her career as a chemist at FMC and advanced through successive human resources roles, including the leadership of human resources for the Asia Pacific region in Shanghai.

She returned to the U.S. to lead global talent management and global human resources for FMC. As an HR executive, Johnson has established and led critical initiatives related to global talent management, employee engagement, compensation, succession planning, HR information systems, change management and communications. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from the University of Delaware and her master’s degree in human resources management from Rutgers University.

www.houghtonintl.com