NEWTOWN, CONN. (Aug. 10, 4:15 p.m. ET) — Susan Oderwald, the executive director of the Society of Plastics Engineers, has announced her resignation from the group's top post by year's end.
Oderwald has served as executive director since 2004, steering the group through uncertain economic and industry times. She joined the group in 2001 as deputy executive director.
“Susan has done a great job over the last 11 years,” said Russell Broome, president of SPE, in an Aug. 10 telephone interview. “She kept us afloat, turned the ship around. She weathered the storm of the whole industry tightening up. She made difficult, strategic decisions. She's leaving the society when things are in a much better position.”
The Newtown, Conn.-based group now will conduct a global search for a new executive director.
“We have decided as a group to look within the industry,” Broome said of sticking within the plastics industry rather than looking at the trade association management industry. “We're looking at the industry globally as well. We're not restricting ourselves to North America.”
SPE also will hire an outside firm to help with the search.
