Jürgen C. Baune has been appointed general manager of Akzo Nobel's worldwide MCA (monochloroacetic acid) activities, part of the company's Industrial Chemicals business, effective July 1. Baune succeeds Lars Andersson who will become director Product and Business Development of
Eka, AkzoNobel's Pulp and Paper Chemicals business.

Baune studied chemistry and obtained a PhD in metal organic chemistry at Münster University, Germany. He joined Akzo Nobel more than 20 years ago and has held a number of management functions in research and development, manufacturing and general management, including that of director Manufacturing & Technology of Akzo Nobel's Industrial Chemicals business unit.

AkzoNobel's worldwide network of world scale MCA plants serves customers all over the globe with production facilities in China, the Netherlands and the US. It also includes Denak, a 50/50 joint venture between Akzo Nobel and Denki Kagaku Kogyo in Japan.

Important MCA applications include carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), surfactants and agrochemicals.