Gene Sanders, the former senior vice president of trade shows at the Society of the Plastics Industry Inc., is interviewing for the CEO position of the Society of Plastics Engineers.
Sanders tweeted March 20: "About to meet with #SPE search committee for CEO job, wish me luck." He added: "I hope #NPE2018 space draw is going well," referring to the exhibitor space draw in Orlando, Fla.
Sanders left Washington-based SPI, now called the Plastics Industry Association, after a record-setting NPE trade show in 2015.
The top position at SPE will become open when Willem De Vos steps down from as CEO later this year. SPE announced that news on Dec. 8.
In a telephone interview, Sanders said he saw the SPE position on CEO Update, a Washington online site with news about associations and executive positions.
"When I saw the SPE job was open, I thought wow, that sounds like an interesting position for me. … So I looked there and thought, oh, it's worth throwing my hat in the ring," he said.
Sanders has been doing consulting since he left the Plastics Industry Association. He said he has been working for Freeman Co. — which is the general contractor for NPE.
