COLUMBIA, Md.,- W. R. Grace & Co. (NYSE:GRA) announced that Thomas E. Blaser has been named Senior Vice President, Finance, and is expected to be elected Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer effective immediately following the filing in late February of the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K. At that time, Hudson La Force is expected to resign as Chief Financial Officer. La Force was named President and Chief Operating Officer on Feb. 4, 2016.

Grace Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Fred Festa said, “Tom is a proven leader with strong specialty chemical industry experience with global companies. He will be a great addition to our leadership team as we grow our business, maintain our ROIC discipline, and increase productivity through manufacturing excellence.”

Blaser was most recently President of Arysta LifeScience North America, LLC, a global agricultural chemical and life science business where he also served for 10 years as Chief Financial Officer. Previously he held business development and financial leadership roles with Honeywell and Price Waterhouse. He earned an MBA at Columbia University and a BS in Accounting at Montclair State University.

About Grace

Built on talent, technology, and trust, Grace is a leading global supplier of catalysts and engineered materials. The company’s two industry-leading business segments—Catalysts Technologies and Materials Technologies—provide innovative products, technologies, and services that enhance the products and processes of our customer partners around the world. Grace employs approximately 3,700 people in over 30 countries. More information about Grace is available at grace.com.