Keith Layden

Biography

Key strengths and experience: Deep understanding of chemical innovation and broad operational and management experience. Keith joined Croda in 1984 and was appointed to the Board as Chief Technology Office in February 2012. Until January 2016 he was responsible for the Technology Investment Group. Up until his retirement in April 2017 he was responsible for global R&D and was also President Life Sciences. External appointments: Keith represents Croda as a member of the advisory board for chemistry at the Universities of Nottingham and York. At the University of Sheffield he serves as a member of Council, a Representative of the Learning and Teaching Committee, Careers Advisory Board and Alumni Board. Keith is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and a Trustee and member of Council at the Royal Society of Chemistry. 

Research Interest

Established in 1955, Croda Italy was the first subsidiary of Croda International Plc. Croda Italy serves the markets of Italy, Slovenia and Croatia. IRB, established in 1999 as a private Biotech start-up company, was acquired in 2012, by Croda. IRB has through the years developed a unique plant cell culture platform to extract active ingredients mainly for cosmetic and health care applications that integrate the Sederma portfolio. The team at Croda Italy are dedicated to continuous improvement. We undertake Croda 1% Club activities within our local community and universities. We are the name behind the high performance ingredients and technologies in some of the biggest, most successful brands in the world: creating, making and selling speciality chemicals that are relied on by industries and consumers everywhere. We create, make and sell speciality chemicals that deliver real benefits to a range of diverse products including health and beauty, engine lubricants, plastics and many more. Our business is split into three core market sectors: Personal Care; Life Sciences made up of Crop Care and Health Care and Performance Technologies made up of Coatings and Polymers; Geo Technologies; Home Care; Lubricants and Polymer Additives. We also have an Industrial Chemicals business area. In all areas of our business our focus is on developing and delivering innovative ingredients sustainably.