Press Release: IRI Announces New Members of the Board of Advisors

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IRI Announces New Members of the Board of Advisors

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 26, 2026  CONTACT: NAM Media Relations
IRI Appoints Florian Schattenmann, CTO of Cargill, Chair and Welcomes Six New Members to Its Board of Advisors 

Washington, D.C. – The National Association of Manufacturers’ Innovation Research Interchange has named Florian Schattenmann, Chief Technology Officer and Vice President, Innovation and R&D at Cargill, as Chair of the organization’s Board of Advisors. He is joined by Vice Chair Portia Yarborough, Chief Science & Sustainability Officer at Michelman. Together with Laura Buen  Abad, Vice President of Technology and Marketing at TOPPAN Packaging Americas, they from the leadership team that will continue advancing IRI’s mission of supporting innovation leadership across the manufacturing community. 
 
Additionally, IRI is welcoming six accomplished innovation and technology leaders as new members of the IRI Board of Advisors. Collectively, these executives bring decades of experience leading global R&D, technology, and innovation organizations and will provide strategic guidance to IRI and its member community during their three-year terms. 
 
“I am thrilled to welcome such an exceptional group of leaders to IRI’s Board of Advisors,” said Lee Green, Vice President and Executive Director of IRI. “This Board is a powerful reflection of IRI’s strong forward momentum and the growing impact of our community. I look forward to working closely with this outstanding team as we continue to advance innovation leadership across manufacturing.” 
 
The newly confirmed members of the IRI Board of Advisors: 
 
Wesley Hamilton, Chief Technical Officer, Albemarle Corporation. Hamilton leads research and technology across Albemarle’s global portfolio, driving high-impact innovation in lithium, bromine, and specialty materials. He holds degrees in Chemical Engineering and Law and has held leadership roles across R&D, manufacturing, and commercial operations.  
 
Kenneth Hernandez, Innovation Portfolio and Digital Strategy Leader, Qnity. 
Hernandez leads innovation portfolio strategy and digital transformation for advanced materials R&D at Qnity, previously DuPont Electronics & Industrial. His work focuses on accelerating materials innovation through strategic planning, emerging technologies, and digital tools. He holds a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from Cornell University and has been recognized with multiple honors, including an R&D 100 Award and IRI’s Promising Young Innovation Professional Award. 
 
Girdhari Kumar, Technical Director, Henkel Corporation. Kumar brings more than 20 years of experience across R&D, product development, and commercialization in global automotive and industrial markets. He holds a Ph.D. in Materials Science from The Ohio State University and has led large-scale innovation and digitalization initiatives.  
 
Joe Liu, Chief Technology Officer, James Hardie Building Products. Liu leads global R&D and innovation at James Hardie and previously spent 26 years at 3M in senior R&D and international leadership roles. He holds multiple doctoral degrees and was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2023.  
 
Melissa Martinez, Chief Technology & Innovation Officer, MetalTek International. Martinez joined MetalTek in 2024 after nearly two decades at ATI Inc., where she led product and process technology and next-generation alloys initiatives. She holds degrees from MIT and the University of Massachusetts Amherst.  
 
Robert Roop, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Axalta. Roop leads Axalta’s global innovation and technology strategy, including customer-centric product development, long-term R&D, and manufacturing process engineering. He previously held senior R&D leadership roles at DuPont and holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Texas A&M University. 
 
For more information on the full IRI Board of Advisors, visit https://iriweb.org/about/board-of-directors/  

-National Association for Manufacturer-
The National Association of Manufacturers is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs 13 million men and women, contributes $2.75 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 53% of private-sector research and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the NAM or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit nam.org. 

-Innovation Research Interchange-
Innovation Research Interchange (formerly the Industrial Research Institute) is an inclusive membership organization with hundreds of global members in private-sector companies, federally funded laboratories, universities and others. Founded in 1938, we lead and advance the field of innovation management by creating contemporary practices. Some of the world’s most widely adopted models—such as “open innovation,” “front end of innovation” and “stage-gate”—were born from the work of our members.  We value strength in cooperation and partner with other organizations at the forefront of developments in innovation management, creating a hub for all to convene and contribute in an experimental, noncompetitive and noncommercial environment. For more information, visit iriweb.org.