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Carus

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Leadership

Leadership Team

Carus is guided by a dynamic and highly qualified group of executives who lead strategic initiatives across key functions such as finance, human resources, and commercial operations, among others. This cross-functional team brings diverse expertise and industry insights, driving operational excellence and aligning daily efforts with the company’s broader vision. Committed to upholding the Carus legacy, our Leadership Team is focused on fostering innovation, sustainability, and global growth, ensuring a lasting impact for future generations.

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Andy Johnston

President & CEO

Andy Johnston serves as President & Chief Executive Officer at Carus. He joined Carus in 2020 with over 30 years of global experience in the chemical industry. Most recently, he served as Group Vice President, Composites of Ashland LLC where he led multiple businesses. During his 25 year tenure at Ashland, he developed and executed numerous strategic growth initiatives, including acquisitions, global expansion, and innovation pipeline management. Prior to that, Andy spent nine years at ICI PLC in the United Kingdom and the US, where he served in a variety of technology and business leadership positions. Andy is a graduate of the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland where he earned a degree in Pure and Applied Chemistry. He also holds a Masters of Business Administration from The Ohio State University.

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Chryss Crockett

Senior Vice President & CFO

Chryss Crockett serves as Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer at Carus. She joined Carus in 2019 with a robust background in managing both privately held and publicly traded organizations. Most recently, she served as President of Armstrong Aerospace, a division of Astronics Corporation. In previous roles, she was responsible for overall company performance, financial operations, and strategic sourcing. Chryss began her career in Public Accounting with clients in the manufacturing, distribution, and real estate sectors for mid-sized private and public entities. She then moved on to corporate reporting/SOX compliance of publicly traded companies, and managing large, privately held family enterprises. Chryss is a Certified Public Accountant in Illinois and holds a Bachelors Degree in Accounting from the University of Illinois.

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Lyndsay Bliss

Vice President, Human Resources

Lyndsay Bliss serves as Vice President, Human Resources at Carus. She joined Carus in 2020 with over 15 years of global human resource experience. Most recently, she served as Vice President of Human Resources for INEOS Composites, where she was responsible for the human resource function of a $1 billion business spanning 17 countries. Prior to that, Lyndsay spent 13 years with Ashland LLC in varying human resource functions, most recently as the Global Human Resource Leader for Ashland Performance Materials. She has expertise in managing workforce talent and developing organizational solutions that align people strategies to business initiatives. Most of her career has been focused on the chemical space. Lyndsay holds a Bachelors Degree in Business Management from West Chester University and a Masters of Business Administration from Franklin University.

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Todd Courter

CHIEF Commercial OFFICER

Todd Courter serves as Vice President, Commercial. He joined Carus in 2021 with over 25 years of experience in the chemical industry. Most recently he served as Vice President, US of INEOS Hygenics. He managed start up businesses driven by the pandemic, as well as backward integration into key raw material markets. Prior to that, Todd worked at Ashland LLC for 23 years where he led corporate development initiatives for the organization. He has a well-rounded background in business & product management, traditional finance roles, strategy, portfolio management, and end-to-end acquisition and divesture management. Todd holds a Bachelors Degree in Finance and Accounting and a Masters of Business Administration from The Ohio State University.

Board of Directors

Carus’ Board of Directors comprises a distinguished group of experienced leaders who provide invaluable guidance, strategic insight, and expertise to support our business’s growth and evolution. Collaborating closely with the Leadership Team, the Board helps drive innovation and ensures Carus continues to meet the needs of our customers and communities. With a history of long-standing, highly respected members, the Board of Directors remains a cornerstone of Carus’ ongoing success.

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Inga Carus

Serving as Chairman

Ms. Carus is Chairman of Carus, a role which she has held since 2013.  She served as President from 2005 until 2013 and as Chief Executive Officer from 2005 – 2016.  Ms. Carus joined Carus in 1992 as European Sales Manager and returned to the U.S. in 1993 to become Director of Marketing.  She was Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing from 2001 – 2005.  Prior to joining Carus, Ms. Carus worked for Air Products and Chemicals Inc. from 1987 – 1992, primarily serving in commercial positions in Europe, where she had responsibility for specialty chemicals for the German speaking regions.  She received a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry, and and a Master of Business Administration, both from the University of Chicago.  Ms. Carus is co-founder, with her husband Peter Limberger, of CL Enterprises, a holding company of various businesses, which range from farming to aviation, and includes CL Real Estate, a business whose tag line is “Small Towns.  Big Ideas”.   Ms. Carus serves on the boards of the American Chemistry Council, the Hegeler Carus Foundation,  and the Starved Rock Country Community Foundation.  Ms. Carus lives in Ottawa, Il and has two daughters. 

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M. Blouke Carus

Serving as Chairman Emeritus

Mr. Carus is Chairman Emeritus and Chief Technical Advisor. Mr. Carus served (by Presidential appointment) as a member of the National Council on Education Research, which established policy for the National Institute of Education of the U. S. Department of Education. He was instrumental in establishing the International Baccalaureate North America (IBNA) in 1973 and was Chairman of the IBNA until June 1985. Mr. Carus was also a Council member for the International Baccalaureate in Geneva, Switzerland from 1977 to 1994 and subsequently rejoined the International Baccalaureate Organization to strengthen the curricula and the infrastructure. In 2001, Mr. Carus was named Man of the Year by the Manufacturing Technology and Management Program of the Illinois Institute of Technology. He received the national Vanguard Award from the Chemical Education Foundation in 2002, and an honorary doctorate from Illinois Wesleyan University in 2003. In 2004, Mr. Carus received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Caltech. In 2006, he and his wife, Marianne, were inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Association of Educational Publishers, and in 2007 Mr. Carus received the SRA McGraw-Hill Lifetime Achievement Award in Education. In 2013, Mr. Carus was inducted into the Hall of Fame for Illinois Valley Community College and received the Living Out the Vision Award from the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions. Mr. Carus holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the California Institute of Technology in 1949, after having served from 1945-1946 in the U.S. Navy. He studied foreign languages and chemistry at Mexico City College, the University of Freiburg, Germany, and the Sorbonne, Paris. He joined Carus in 1951 as a Development Engineer and holds seven U.S. patents for his work during that period.

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Mark Bye

Serving as Director since 1995

Mr. Bye is currently a Senior Advisor to Morgan Stanley, having previously served for 13 years as a Managing Director and partner in their Private Equity and Energy Capital Funds. He joined Morgan Stanley in 2008 in London, assuming leadership responsibilities for the European private equity team and globally for the industrials, basic materials, and energy sectors. Mr. Bye has successfully led and delivered profitable growth for a diverse set of enterprises over the course of his 40+ year career. Before joining Morgan Stanley, Mr. Bye served as President and CEO of DyStar, GmbH, a 1B€ German-based private equity-owned leading global provider of dyes, chemicals, and services to the textile, leather, and fashion industries. Prior to moving into private equity, Mr. Bye spent 23 years with Air Products and Chemicals Inc. At Air Products, he held numerous positions of increasing responsibility, ultimately serving as Group Executive of the $7 billion industrial gases and equipment group. His breadth and depth of experience with the company included leadership positions based in Asia, Europe, and the United States, as well as extensive representation of the firm with external constituencies in the investment community, government, and media. He is an active investor in technology based start-ups and provides consulting and advisory services to companies in chemicals and industrials through his company, The Bye Group, LLC. Mr. Bye holds a Master of Science and Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and is a graduate of INSEAD’s Advanced Management Program. He serves on several industry, corporate, and not-for-profit boards.

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Christopher Leitten

Serving as Director since 2022

Mr. Leitten is a member of the investment team at Seidler Equity Partners (SEP), a private investment firm headquartered in Marina del Rey, California, which entered into a strategic partnership with Carus in 2019. Mr. Leitten is involved in all SEP activities, including sourcing and executing new investments, advising partner companies on strategic planning, and evaluating and implementing growth initiatives. He currently serves as a board member for several SEP partner companies. Prior to joining SEP, Mr. Leitten was an investment banker at DBO Partners, a San Francisco-based boutique, where he advised companies on mergers and acquisitions, private capital raises, and board-level matters. Mr. Leitten graduated summa cum laude from the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and a double major in Theology.

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Richard Lorraine

Serving as Director since 2008

Mr. Lorraine most recently served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Eastman Chemical Company, from which he retired in 2010. Mr. Lorraine began his career with Westinghouse Electric Corporation in 1963. In 1978, he joined Clark Equipment Company where he held various financial positions. In 1980 Lorraine joined ITT Corporation as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the company’s Fluid Technology Group, and over the next four years, he rose to the position of Chief Financial Officer of ITT’s Automotive Group. In 1990, he was named president of ITT Automotive Aftermarket Group. In 1995, Mr. Lorraine joined Occidental Chemical Corporation as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Occidental Chemical Corporation, OxyChem, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum Corporation and is a chemical manufacturer, with interests in basic chemicals, vinyls, and performance products. In addition to his finance responsibilities, Lorraine also led the purchasing, logistics, and e-business functions of the $3 billion chemical company. He held these positions until joining Eastman in 2003. A native of New York City, Lorraine graduated from New York University with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting.

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Norbert Nusterer

Serving as Director since 2023

Mr. Nusterer most recently served as President of Cummins’ Power Systems Business Unit and also oversaw the company’s activities in India before retiring in 2022.  Mr. Nusterer joined Cummins in 1996 and held a number of progressive roles in supply chain and operations in the US and in Europe.  After turning around Cummins Spare Parts operations, Mr. Nusterer successfully led Cummins global New and ReCon Parts business as a general manager.  Under his leadership, the business doubled in size and assumed the role of shared service provider to the entire corporation. In 2016, Mr. Nusterer was asked to lead Cummins Power Systems which grew to $5B as a global leader in industrial engine and power generation equipment to many of the world’s leading OEMs, commercial and industrial end users. 

Over the last two decades Mr. Nusterer represented Cummins on several Joint Venture boards both internationally and in the US.  He served on the Board of Cummins India Limited, a public company listed on the Sensex.  Outside of work, Mr. Nusterer was a board member on the Bartholomew County Heritage Foundation in Columbus, IN. A native of Austria, Mr. Nusterer holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor Degree from Vienna University of Economics.

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Tobin Ryan

Serving as Director since 2019

Mr. Ryan is a Partner at Seidler Equity Partners (SEP), a private investment firm headquartered in Marina Del Rey, California, which entered into a strategic partnership with Carus in 2019. Mr. Ryan is involved in all SEP investment activities, including assisting partner companies with strategy development, process improvement, performance measurement and decision support analysis. Prior to joining SEP in 2009, he served as COO of Tomah Products, a former partner company of SEP. Prior to Tomah, Mr. Ryan held positions with Bain Consulting and General Electric. Mr. Ryan holds a Bachelor of Arts from University of Notre Dame and an MBA from Harvard University.

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John Venegoni

Serving as Director since 2008

Mr. Venegoni most recently served as Vice President & General Manager of Stepan Company, from which he retired in 2014. Mr. Venegoni joined Stepan in 1982 and held a number of progressive roles, from Product Development Engineer to Global Business Director. At Stepan, Mr. Venegoni successfully led and managed a $1 billion global surfactant business, which achieved record income performance during his tenure. He was a member of Stepan’s Operating Committee and a contributor to the overall strategic direction of the company. Mr. Venegoni assumed responsibility for Stepan’s Personal Care business in 1990. He went on to hold numerous positions in Business Management. Mr. Venegoni had a one-year leave from Stepan, during which he worked at American Hoechst and was responsible for production and quality improvements in a PVC manufacturing facility. Mr. Venegoni served on the Board of Directors for the Chemical Specialty Products Association from 2003 to 2006. He served on the Board of Directors of the American Cleaning Institute from 2007 to 2014. He currently sits on the Board at Sironix Renewables as well as on an Advisory Board for Cargill’s bio industrial business. Mr. Venegoni holds a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in Chemical Engineering, both from the University of Illinois.