NEW YORK (Jan. 4, 1:30 p.m. ET) – Timothy O’Brien has been named president and CEO of laminant surface maker Wilsonart International Holdings LLC, effective Jan. 14.

O’Brien was previously head of the Sabic Innovative Plastics engineering resins business in the Americas and Europe.

Wilsonart is a newly independent company. New York investment firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice purchased a 51 percent stake in the high-pressure laminates maker from Glenview, Ill.-based Illinois Tool Works Inc. in October.

At Wilsonart O’Brien will join another former GE Plastics executive, John Krenicki, who is the company’s chairman.

“Tim is a proven global business leader with the perfect skill set and experience to successfully lead Wilsonart to the next level of profitable growth,” said Krenicki, who also is an operating partner with Clayton, Dubilier & Rice. “I had the opportunity to work closely with Tim during my tenure at GE and have first-hand experience with his ability to focus on customer needs in innovative ways, as well as energize and build strong teams.”

Prior to Saudi Basic Industries Corp.’s purchase of GE Plastics, O’Brien served as general manager of GE’s high performance and crystalline polymers businesses, senior vice president for commercial finance computer leasing with GE Capital, and various management roles with GE Lighting, where he began his GE career in 1985.

He has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Northeastern University and an MBA from Baldwin Wallace College.