Thomas Kinisky has been appointed president and CEO of Saint-Gobain Corp., Saint-Gobain’s North American holding company. In his new role, Kinisky will be Saint-Gobain’s North American representative overseeing the family of companies in the U.S. and Canada. Kinisky was also appointed senior vice president for Saint-Gobain and is a member of the company’s global Management Committee. Kinisky is succeeding John Crowe.

“With more than 30 years of experience in research and development and as an executive of several global businesses’ operations at Saint-Gobain, Tom is uniquely positioned to lead Saint-Gobain’s businesses in North America,” said Pierre-André de Chalendar, chairman and CEO of Saint-Gobain. “This is especially true given that the company is specifically focused on creating materials, systems, and solutions that address the next generation of challenges facing society in an effort to enhance the well-being of people everywhere,”

Kinisky's main focus will be on enabling sustainable, profitable growth across the full range of Saint-Gobain companies operating in North America. Kinisky asserts that the company’s focus on growth will come from a balanced strategy that combines increased investments in research and development, employee training and development, talent acquisition, and strategic external acquisitions.

Kinisky joined Norton Co., which was acquired by Saint-Gobain in 1990, in 1989. He spent over a decade working in research and development in various roles, including vice president of Technology and New Business Development for the company’s Abrasives Division, before assuming the role of president for two Saint-Gobain businesses: Saint-Gobain Crystals (2002) and Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics (2008). Kinisky’s most recent position as president of Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics gave him responsibility for over 6,000 employees across 57 manufacturing facilities in 22 countries.

Kinisky holds a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from Pace University and a Master of Science in materials science from New York University. He has authored many technical publications and holds five U.S. patents.

For more information, visit www.saint-gobain-northamerica.com.