North Charleston chemical company Ingevity names new CEO

Listen to this article

A specialty chemicals company in North Charleston has named a new CEO after a six-month search. The previous CEO left earlier this year for what the company called “personal conduct” matters.

Ingevity said that John C. Fortson will be company’s new president and CEO as of Sept. 1. He will also serve on the board of directors.

Fortson joined Ingevity in 2015 and has served as executive vice president, CFO and treasurer. He will remain in the latter two roles on an interim basis until permanent replacements are found, the company said in a statement.

Former president and CEO Michael Wilson resigned because of “matters relating to personal conduct,” the company said in February. At the time, Ingevity’s board of directors appointed Chairman Richard Kelson as interim president and CEO.

“John presented the board with a compelling vision and strategy for ‘Ingevity 2.0,’ based on his familiarity with the company and its unique culture,” Kelson said. “His business acumen and credibility with capital markets, combined with his innate leadership skills, make John an ideal selection for Ingevity’s next CEO.”

Prior to his leadership roles at Ingevity, Fortson served as vice president, CFO and treasurer of AAR Corp.; prior to that he spent 15 years in investment banking.

“Our strategy remains fundamentally the same,” Fortson said. “However, we will focus on sustainability, customer centricity and innovation to drive growth. It’s a new day for the company, and we’re ready to get to it.”