Thomas J. Walsh Joins RAPID as Interim CEO
The Rapid Manufacturing Institute and AIChE are pleased to announce that Thomas J. Walsh has been appointed interim Chief Executive Officer of the RAPID Manufacturing Institute, taking over for Karen Fletcher. Mr. Walsh will be responsible for providing continuity in leading the Institute, overseeing the portfolio of research projects and continuing to grow RAPID’s membership base.
June Wispelwey, Executive Director of AIChE notes, “Tom is ideally suited to his new role having been a member of the RAPID Workforce Development Team since its inception as well as serving on a number AIChE committees. He has gained valuable insight into the operations of RAPID and is committed to helping both the Institute and its members succeed. He will also serve as a member of AIChE’s Executive Leadership Team.”
Previously Mr. Walsh worked for LyondellBasell and its predecessor companies for more than 30 years, beginning as a process engineer with ARCO Chemical Company based both in the United States and overseas, including 14 years on assignments in France, Great Britain and The Netherlands. He served as Vice President, Engineering for LyondellBasell Industries’ North America operations prior to joining Honeywell International in 2011, where his initial role was as Vice President, Engineering for the company’s Performance Materials and Technologies (PMT) business during a period of unprecedented growth. Most recently he served as Vice President for PMT’s Health, Safety, Environment and Product Stewardship function from 2014 to 2016. He retired from Honeywell in April 2017.
“I am excited and honored to join the RAPID team at this time. The work that is being done here is game-changing—and I anticipate that 2018 will be a year where we accomplish many more milestones solidifying RAPID’s role as the leader in process intensification,” stated Tom Walsh.
The Institute’s membership reflects a broad constituency of leaders from within industry, academia, not-for-profit and other sectors.