CIAC welcomes new Chair and Vice-Chair to CIAC Board of Directors

October 17, 2019

On October 17, the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada (CIAC) welcomed Ed Bechberger, President for ERCO Worldwide, as Chair of the Board of Directors for 2019-2020, and Peter Noble, Chemicals Business Manager, Imperial Oil, as Vice-Chair.

“CIAC has long been a strong voice for the chemistry industry in Canada and I look forward to serving as its Chair. I am proud to be a part of the association of Canada’s solution providers and stewardship pioneers as we work to achieve our industry’s important priorities this year,” said Mr. Bechberger.

Mr. Bechberger follows outgoing Chair, Marcelo Lu, President of BASF Canada.

“Ed and Peter have had a long and successful relationship with CIAC. We are very grateful to be able to tap into their deep knowledge of the industry, which will be imperative to leading the Board and Executive Committee to guide the association,” said Bob Masterson, President and CEO of CIAC.

“I would also like to thank outgoing Chair Marcelo Lu for his vital contribution over the past 12 months. His leadership, enthusiasm for continuous improvement and his passion for our industry was palpable and we are grateful to continue to benefit from his expertise.”

Additionally, CIAC welcomed Arnel Santos, Senior Vice President, Operations, NOVA Chemicals Corporation to its Board of Directors. View the full list of CIAC Board of Directors here.

Ed Bechberger

President, ERCO Worldwide
Chair, Chemistry Industry Association of Canada

Mr. Bechberger was appointed President of ERCO Worldwide in 2015. Previously, as Senior Vice-President for Operations, he was responsible for all aspects of ERCO’s operations and strategy development. Since 1980, he has held various progressive positions at ERCO, including Senior Vice-President Sales and Operations, Vice-President and General Manager for Chloralkali Business, Vice-President Business Development and numerous manager and technical roles. He has presented several papers at Pulp and Paper industry conferences around the world; has commissioned over 30 chlorine dioxide plants around the world and is named as inventor on 14 patents. Mr. Bechberger holds a Bachelor of Technology in Chemical Engineering and a Diploma in Chemical Technology from Ryerson Polytechnic Institute. As a member of both the CIAC’s board and Executive Committee for just over 4 years, in October 2018 he was appointed to the position of Vice-Chair, of the CIAC. Mr. Bechberger previously served on the Board of the Chlorine Institute.

Peter Noble

Chemicals Business Manager, Imperial Oil
Vice-Chair, Chemistry Industry Association of Canada

Mr. Noble was appointed Chemicals Business Manager of Imperial Oil in 2018. He is responsible for the sales, supply chain and business development for Imperial’s petrochemicals business. He started his career with Imperial in 1989 after receiving his Bachelor of Applied Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Toronto and has more than 30 years of experience in the petrochemicals industry. Mr. Noble previously served on the board of directors of the Canadian Plastics Industry Association and Alberta’s Clean Air Strategic Alliance. He has also held leadership positions within the CIAC, American Chemistry Council, Canadian Fuels Association and the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers.