Dow Automotive is pleased to announce that Dagmar van Heur and Sergey Laikin have taken new roles in the European sales organisation. The announcement was made by Paul Turner, Vice President, European Sales and Sales Service.

Dagmar van Heur has been named Sales Director, Tier Suppliers - Western Europe. He will have commercial responsibility for all of Dow Automotive's Tier customers in Western Europe. "I am looking forward to strengthening ties with our current and future customer base," van Heur states, adding, "Our objective, as always, is to bring innovative, cost effective solutions to our business partners."

Van Heur began his career with The Dow Chemical Company in 1992 as a technical service representative for Engineering Plastics. He joined Dow Automotive in 1996 where he has held a variety of positions, starting in technical service for Italian and German customers. He followed that with responsibility for global instrument panel application marketing, then managed Dow Automotive's global polyolefins business. A native of the Netherlands, van Heur is 39 years old and holds an Engineering Degree from Delft University. He is based near Frankfurt, in Dow Automotive's Schwalbach, Germany facility

Sergey Laikin has been appointed Sales Director, Emerging Markets. He will be responsible for all commercial and business activities in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as Russia, Middle East and South Africa. "I am pleased to have this exciting and challenging opportunity," says Laikin. "Working with customers in these rapidly changing and developing regions will enable us to expand our presence there."

Laikin joined Dow in 1995 as a sales representative for chemicals and speciality chemicals as well as oil and gas applications. In 1999, he was named Dow Automotive Sales Manager for the former Soviet Union. Since then, Laikin has held several, increasingly responsible, positions in sales and business development. A Russian native, Laikin is 42 years old and holds a Ph.D in non-ferrous metallurgy engineering from the Moscow Steel and Alloy Institute. Laikin will operate from Dow Automotive's office in Moscow, Russia.

Paul Turner declared that "I am pleased that Dagmar and Sergey, both experienced automotive professionals, have agreed to take on these new and strategic roles. I am convinced that their specific market knowledge will contribute to continued growth in Dow Automotive's Tier and emerging market businesses".

Dow Automotive is a leading supplier of plastics, adhesives, sealants and other plastics-enhanced products for interior, exterior, under-the-hood, vehicle body structure and acoustical management applications. The organization serves global tier, OEM and aftermarket customers. With offices and application development centers around the world, Dow Automotive provides materials science expertise and comprehensive technical capabilities to its customers worldwide. For additional information about Dow Automotive products and services, visit www.dowautomotive.com. Dow Automotive is a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company.

For photos of Dagmar van Heur and Sergey Laikin in digital format, please contact Clemens Wesely, MS&L