IMCD appoints Walter Ripple as Executive Vice President, Commercial, US
This role is designed to accelerate the company’s growth and commercial performance in the United States market.
USA – IMCD Group has nominated Walter Ripple as Executive Vice President, Commercial, US, a newly created senior role.
This role is designed to accelerate the company’s growth and commercial performance in the United States market.
According to IMCD, the appointment is part of a broader investment in its US commercial capabilities, with Ripple tasked with strengthening the company’s “commercial engine” to better support growth ambitions.
The role focuses on three core priorities: deepening supplier and customer relationships in the US, driving portfolio excellence and performance, and accelerating organic growth in a key market for the group.
Vlad Miller, President, US, IMCD, comments: “Walter Ripple is a strong addition to our team and his appointment reflects our ambition clearly.”
“We have great suppliers and customers in the US, and our job is to make sure we are doing everything we can to help them grow.”
Miller added, “Walter brings the commercial depth and industry experience to help us do exactly that, and I am looking forward to what we will build together.”
The move underscores IMCD’s strategy to deepen relationships with suppliers and customers, sharpen portfolio execution, and drive organic expansion across its US speciality chemicals and ingredients distribution business.
IMCD signals a heightened emphasis on commercial discipline and growth execution in North America, where it distributes speciality chemicals and ingredients to sectors including coatings, inks, adhesives, personal care, and industrial applications.
Ripple joins IMCD from Avient Corporation, where he spent more than 27 years in sales and senior leadership roles, building deep experience in commercial strategy, portfolio management, and growth leadership within the speciality chemicals industry.
His most recent responsibilities at Avient included serving as Vice President, Sustainability; Vice President and General Manager, Global Elastomers; and Vice President and General Manager, Americas Speciality Engineered Materials.
This track record positions him to lead IMCD’s US commercial agenda with a strong grasp of both technical portfolios and market-facing growth levers.
Ripple holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Texas A&M University and an Executive MBA from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business.
The appointment comes shortly after IMCD Group named Vlad Miller President of the United States, effective 1 August 2026.
In his new role, Miller will focus on advancing commercial and operational performance across IMCD’s U.S. operations, strengthening ties with customers and suppliers, and building on the solid groundwork already laid by the local team.
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