The board of directors at Westlake, Ohio-based Nordson Corp. has taken on a new look, with two new members and the departures of three others.
Nordson, a maker of precision dispensing equipment, said in a news release that it has named John DeFord, executive vice president and chief technology officer of medical device maker Becton, Dickinson and Co., and Jennifer Parmentier, vice president and president-Motion Systems Group for Parker Hannifin Corp., to its board. Both will serve on the audit committee.
The appointments follow the recent departures of directors Lee Banks, Randolph Carson and Joseph Keithley. Carson resigned effective Nov. 24, Banks resigned effective Nov. 30, and Keithley, who served as chair of the board from 2010 to 2017, retires effective Tuesday, Dec. 1.
Nordson's Industrial Precision Solutions (IPS) segment includes polymer processing systems for adhesives and industrial coatings.
In a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Nordson said the resignations of Banks and Carson, and the retirement of Keithley, were "not a result of any disagreement with the company on any matter relating to the company's operations, policies, or practices." Banks and Carson served in the class of directors whose term is scheduled to expire at the 2022 annual meeting of shareholders. Keithley's term was scheduled to expire at the 2023 meeting.
Nordson said the appointments of DeFord and Parmentier, in combination with the three departures, puts the company's board at nine members.
Michael Merriman, Nordson's board chair, said in a statement that DeFord's "technical and regulatory experience in the medical device end market will enrich the strategic perspective of the board as Nordson continues to grow in this attractive market." He said Parmentier "brings strong operational, industrial and M&A experience to the board, which will be important as the company continues to deploy its NBS Next growth framework."
DeFord is responsible for leading all research and development activities for medical at Becton Dickinson, including developing the current and future product portfolio. His appointment to Nordson's board was effective Nov. 23.
At Parker, Parmentier is responsible for all strategic and financial aspects of the Motion System Group's global operations. Her appointment to the board was effective Nov. 30.
Merriman said Banks, Carson and Keithley "have been invaluable members of our board of directors. We greatly appreciated their insight, which has helped guide the vision and growth" of the company.
Nordson, founded in 1954, has operations and support offices in more than 35 countries.