The US Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE, Bethel, Connecticut; www.4spe.org) has appointed Patrick Farrey as its new chief executive officer, succeeding Willem De Vos, who will step down in June – see Plasteurope.com of 14.12.2016. Chicago native Farrey joins SPE after a 23-year career in the publication and association management sector. After leading the plastics grouping for more than five years, De Vos is returning to industry, but said earlier he planned to continue to support SPE in a volunteer role.

The new chief “brings a great deal of non-profit experience,” said SPE president Scott Owens, who – in another personnel change at the association – handed over the job of international president on 7 May to Raed Al-Zu’bi. With a new CEO, “now is the time to build on a solid new foundation, for which an association executive has the best expertise,” Al-Zu'bi commented. Over the past several years, SPE has been restructured, most recently joining hands with the US Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI, Washington DC; www.plasticsindustry.org) – now renamed PLASTICS – see Plasteurope.com of 29.11.2016 – to offer new membership programmes.