Michael A. Kucharski

"My motivation for participation on the CBE Advisory Board is to support the development of a good bridge between academia and industry. I firmly believe that it is the university’s responsibility to not only educate but also prepare students for the realities of the needs of industry and for the students to understand the real application of their studies. I am a strong supporter of programs that help students prepare for the workplace, including internships and co-op programs."

-Michael

Michael A. Kucharski UB CBE Advisory Board

President and Chief Executive Officer VanDeMark Chemical Company Inc.

Mr. Kucharski joined VanDeMark in 1983 and has over three decades of specialty chemical industry experience. During his tenure at VanDeMark, Mr. Kucharski has held a variety of positions in Technical, Engineering, and Operations. Key focus during this part of his career was with process development and project management. Through this period he successfully led several teams through design & construction projects building several multi-million dollar specialty chemical manufacturing facilities and launching the production of dozens of new products.  Mr. Kucharski was appointed CEO of VanDeMark in 2005, following a 3-year assignment in Shanghai, China, during which time he served as Technical Director and General Manager of Shanghai SNPE Chemical Co. Ltd.

As CEO, Mr. Kucharski is responsible for establishing the global business strategy for VanDemark and has refocused the business on the specialty and custom chemical industry, expanded the Company through global sales and distribution initiatives, and implemented new product development initiatives that leverage VanDeMark’s technically-advanced manufacturing processes. Prior to joining VanDeMark, Mr. Kucharski was Technical Manager at Allied Chemical Co., Tonawanda, New York.

Additionally; Mr. Kucharski served on the SOCMA (Society of Chemical Manufacturers & Affiliates) Board of Governors from 2007 to 2010.

Mr. Kucharski holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering (1978) and an MBA (1997) from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Mr. Kucharski is a Registered Professional Engineer in the State of New York.

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