Albemarle Announces Changes To Executive Management Team

BATON ROUGE, La. , Feb. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB), a leader in the global specialty chemicals market, today announced changes to its executive management team, effective March 1, 2012.

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Anthony "Tony" Parnell has been named Vice President, Global Supply Chain. In this newly-created role, Mr. Parnell will oversee all aspects of Albemarle's global supply chain, including sales, procurement and logistics.  Mr. Parnell has nearly 30 years of international experience in global sales, business management and development activities having joined Albemarle (then the specialty chemicals division of Ethyl Corporation) in July 1982. During his tenure, Mr. Parnell has held numerous leadership roles including previously serving as Vice President, Global Sales and Service, where he lead a marked improvement in the effectiveness of Albemarle's sales organization and customer service processes.  Most recently, he served as Vice President, Polymer Solutions.

John Nicols has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Strategic Development and Catalysts.  In this expanded role, Mr. Nicols will continue to oversee all aspects of the Catalysts global business unit's performance, and he will also assume responsibility for Albemarle's strategy to expand its business through adjacency opportunities as the company implements its Vision 2015 growth strategy.  A respected leader in the industry, Mr. Nicols joined Albemarle (then Ethyl Corporation) in February 1990 and has held a wide variety of global positions with increasing responsibility during his tenure with the company.  Mr. Nicols has served as Vice President, Fine Chemistry and Vice President, Flame Retardants.  Most recently, he served as Vice President, Catalysts.

Matthew "Matt" Juneau has been named Vice President, Polymer Solutions.  In this role, he will lead all aspects of the Polymer Solutions global business unit's operations, research and product innovation, and business development activities.  An Albemarle veteran with nearly 30 years experience, Mr. Juneau has held numerous technical and commercial roles of increasing responsibility, including Global Business Director, Polymer Additives and Intermediates; Polymer Chemicals Sales Director, Americas; Regional Managing Director, Europe, Middle East and Africa; Division Vice President, Performance Chemicals, and Division Vice President Fine Chemistry Services.  Most recently, he served as Vice President, Global Sales and Service.

Scott Martin has been promoted to Vice President, Fine Chemistry.  In this role, Mr. Martin will be responsible for creating and executing strategy for this global business unit and for driving the group's financial results.  Mr. Martin joined Albemarle in 2001 through the acquisition of custom and fine chemicals company, ChemFirst Fine Chemicals, and subsequently consolidated the company's agricultural and pharmaceutical products into the Fine Chemistry Services division.  Four years later, he became Division Vice President of Polyolefin Catalysts (now re-named Performance Catalyst Solutions) where he served until he assumed responsibility for the Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) Catalysts and Additives division in 2007.  Most recently, he served as Vice President, Hydroprocessing Catalysts.

Ron Gardner has been named Vice President with primary responsibility for stewarding Albemarle's proprietary technology in extracting lithium from the company's brine reserves in Arkansas into a world-class lithium business.  During his career with Albemarle, Mr. Gardner has led many critical growth initiatives, including the startup and integration of Jordan Bromine Company into the company's global bromine operations, and this expertise makes him an ideal fit for this newly-created position.  Most recently, he served as Vice President, Fine Chemistry.  Mr. Gardner joined Albemarle (then Ethyl Corporation) in 1973 and has had a successful, broad-based path in his nearly 40-year career.  He has worked in manufacturing, R&D, international distribution and project management.  He has also lead Albemarle's global supply chain organization.

"Congratulations to these individuals on their new and expanded roles," said Luke Kissam, Chief Executive Officer of Albemarle.  "This group, combined with the other members of the executive team, possesses the collective experience, dedication and passion to execute on the aggressive growth targets we have laid out.  I look forward to their many contributions as we continue Albemarle's history of delivering value to our stakeholders."

About Albemarle Albemarle Corporation, headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is a leading global developer, manufacturer, and marketer of highly-engineered specialty chemicals for consumer electronics, petroleum refining, utilities, packaging, construction, automotive/transportation, pharmaceuticals, crop protection, food-safety and custom chemistry services. The Company is committed to global sustainability and is advancing its eco-practices and solutions in its three business segments, Polymer Solutions, Catalysts and Fine Chemistry. Corporate Responsibility Magazine selected Albemarle to its prestigious "100 Best Corporate Citizens" list for 2010 and 2011.  Albemarle employs approximately 4,000 people and serves customers in approximately 100 countries. Albemarle regularly posts information to http://www.albemarle.com/, including notification of events, news, financial performance, investor presentations and webcasts, Regulation G reconciliations, SEC filings, and other information regarding the Company, its businesses and the markets we serve.

"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this press release regarding Albemarle Corporation's business that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K.

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