Ripple joins NatureWorks as it continues market-leading growth and innovation with construction of new 75kta Ingeo biopolymer manufacturing facility underway in Thailand 

Prior to that position, Ripple was the Chief Growth and Innovation Officer with Ingevity. In this role, he successfully positioned Ingevity to accelerate their latent innovation efforts and designed several acquisition pathways for Ingevity to execute. Ripple was previously the President of Asia Pacific, and the Senior Vice President for Performance Materials (PM) while living in Shanghai, China.??Before joining Ingevity in 2010, Ripple spent 18 years with Eastman Chemical Company where he served in leadership roles in innovation, business management, and corporate development including holding regional responsibilities in Europe.

Ripple received a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from the University of Tennessee and a Master of Business Administration degree from Washington University.

“We are pleased to welcome Erik as the new CEO of NatureWorks. Erik has a strong track record of global business leadership, building innovative teams, and driving growth in new markets,” said Narongsak Jivakanun, NatureWorks Board Chair, PTTGC. “As NatureWorks continues to drive the global adoption of sustainable, performance biomaterials, we are confident that Erik’s strategic capabilities will further build upon the company’s strong foundation.

“We also extend our full gratitude to Jill Zullo for her exceptional leadership over the past eight months to the NatureWorks team. Her input and guidance through this transition leave NatureWorks well positioned for continued success.”

“As parent companies, Cargill and GC continue to see an exciting future for the NatureWorks business. The global need for sustainable materials and technologies that will help mitigate climate change remains unabated,” continued Colleen May, NatureWorks Board Member and President of Cargill Bioindustrial. “We believe that Erik’s leadership will accelerate the innovation NatureWorks is known for alongside long-term growth across evolving global markets.”