Edward E. Barr to Retire as Chairman, Sun Chemical Group; Wes Lucas Named Chairman

Edward E. Barr has announced his intention to retire as chairman, Sun Chemical Group B.V., on Jan. 1, 2003. Mr. Barr will be succeeded as chairman by Wes Lucas, Sun Chemical’s president and CEO. Mr. Barr will continue as Sun Chemical’s designated senior director of Kodak Polychrome Graphics, the company’s pre-press joint venture with Eastman Kodak.
    
Mr. Barr’s retirement concludes more than 40 years of executive association with Sun Chemical, which began in April 1962. During this period, the company’s core business of printing inks and pigments grew from a U.S. operation of $25 million in sales to a global company with more than $3.5 billion of sales.
    
In announcing his retirement, Mr. Barr noted: “I am indebted to Sun Chemical’s men and women, past and present, throughout the world for their dedication and loyalty in building our company to its global leadership position.”
    
“Mr. Barr is one of our industry’s greatest leaders and I look forward to building on the successes that he and Sun Chemical have achieved,” Mr. Lucas said.
    
Mr. Barr became chairman of Sun Chemical Group B.V., the holding company of Sun Chemical Corporation, in 1997. In this role, he has advised the senior management of Sun Chemical on strategy, long range planning and opportunities to expand the company’s world leadership position in the graphic arts and colorant industries. Prior to that, Mr. Barr was chairman, president and CEO of Sun Chemical, a post he held for 11 years.
    
Mr. Barr began his career with Sun Chemical in 1962 as assistant to the president. He subsequently served as a group vice president and as executive vice president, until he was elected Sun Chemical’s president and COO in 1975. Mr. Barr left the company in 1982 to become CEO and partner with Courtaulds plc, the British textiles and chemicals giant, in an American-based specialty chemicals joint venture. He rejoined Sun Chemical as its president and CEO following the company’s reorganization at the beginning of 1987. He was a member of the Board of Directors of Sun Chemical’s parent company, Dainippon Ink & Chemicals of Tokyo, Japan from 1988 to 2002.
    
Mr. Barr is a 1957 graduate of New York University’s Stern School of Business. Mr. Barr was elected an NYU Albert Gallatin Fellow in 1979 and a Life Member of the Albert Gallatin Associates in 1984. He is currently an overseer of NYU’s Stern School, where he recently led the development of Stern’s strategic plan. Mr. Barr is also a member of the Dean’s Council at the John F. Kennedy School of Government of Harvard University.
    
Mr. Barr holds a master of science degree in economics from the University of Michigan, and he is also a graduate of M.I.T.’s Senior Executive Program.
    
From 1985 to 1987, Mr. Barr chaired the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology, a blue ribbon panel responsible for guiding the economic development of the state. From 1976 to 1985, he was a member of the New Jersey Board of Higher Education, serving as chairman from 1978 to 1981. He is a member of numerous civic, philanthropic and private organizations.
    
 As the new chairman of Sun Chemical Group BV, Mr. Lucas will focus on increasing customer value, growing its industry leadership positions, developing its people and improving overall productivity through Six Sigma.
    
Mr. Barr praised the board’s decision to elect Mr. Lucas, stating that “he brings outstanding leadership capabilities to Sun Chemical and is the right person to take Sun Chemical forward into the future.”
    
Mr. Lucas has a broad background running global operations in specialty chemicals, engineered materials and industrial chemicals. Prior to joining Sun Chemical in August 2001, he was a vice president in AlliedSignal Corporation’s engineered materials sector (now Honeywell), president of Styrenics at Nova Chemicals Corporation, and held several positions at Chevron Corporation.