Edward J. Connors

Ed Connors is president, Paper and Water, Americas, for Solenis. He oversees the sales, marketing and technology operations in North America and Latin America and is responsible for the global strategy for the company’s industrial water treatment business.

Prior to joining Solenis in 2016 as senior vice president, Industrial Water Technologies, Connors was a group vice president for Ashland Specialty Ingredients, leading a $1.2 billion global business focused on specialty additives and adhesives.

Connors brings more than 25 years of experience in the specialty chemical industry to Solenis. His previous responsibilities have included leadership positions in research and development, new product marketing, business integration and procurement. He possesses a strong technical background and acumen in strategy development and product innovation.

Joining Ashland in 2008 following the company’s acquisition of Hercules Incorporated, Connors originally served as vice president of R&D and marketing, where he restructured the R&D team to align with vertical markets, created centers of excellence around key growth platforms, and aligned R&D objectives with business outcomes. In his time at Ashland, Connors also served as group vice president for Coatings and Construction Specialties, which also included the energy market. In this role, he led a turnaround of the construction business and implemented pricing and segmentation strategies to ensure sustainable profitability. Later, as group vice president for Industrial Specialties, Connors’ role included global P&L responsibility in specialty ingredients for coatings, construction, adhesives, energy and performance specialties markets.

Prior to Ashland he held multiple leadership positions with Hercules, General Electric and BetzDearborn, where he was also co-inventor on six U.S. patents.

Connors volunteers for the Fresh Air Fund. He earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Saint Joseph’s University, as well as master’s and doctorate degrees in polymer chemistry from Drexel University.