Ex-DSS+ leader Boudewijn van Lent joins VanDeMark Chemicals as CEO

Boudewijn van Lent, PhD, former head of the chemicals practice at consulting firm DSS+, has joined VanDeMark Chemicals as president and chief executive officer.

Founded in 1951 and headquartered in Lockport, NY, VanDeMark manufactures products based on phosgenation chemistry for pharmaceutical, personal care, and other industries. The firm has ISO-certified production facilities in Lockport and Hungary and more than 200 employees.

VanDeMark was acquired by private equity firms SK Capital Partners and Comvest Partners in September 2022.

Van Lent brings more than 30 years of leadership experience in the chemicals industry. He most recently spent one-and-a-half years at DSS+ (formerly Dupont Sustainable Solutions), where he led the global chemical industry practice. Van Lent oversaw expansion of the practice and projects in operational risk management, operational excellence, sustainability, and digitalization.

Before that he was EVP of the specialist chemicals practice at construction materials company GCP, head of industrial services at engineering and maintenance firm Bilfinger, and president of the Americas region at Rhein Chemie Corporation.

Earlier in his career, van Lent spent 15 years at Bayer, holding various technical and research leadership roles across Germany, the US, and Canada.

Van Lent has a doctorate in physical and colloid chemistry and a master’s degree in molecular science from the University of Wageningen in The Netherlands.

“We are pleased to have Boudewijn join the VanDeMark team,” said Randy Dearth, chairman of the board of directors of VanDeMark and senior director of SK Capital Partners. “His broad experience in transforming and growing businesses will be beneficial as we further grow VanDeMark as a preferred fine chemicals partner to our life science and industrial customers.”