Inline & offline digital printing primers certified for use with HP Indigo presses.
Water-based overprint coatings increase durability and enhance the look & feel of inkjet-printed materials.
High-performance primers for inkjet that improve print quality & ink adhesion on film & paper.
Advanced materials designed to enhance the performance and processing of agricultural products.
Recyclable water-based coatings that confer high barrier to paper-based packaging and wraps.
Enhancing composite performance through optimized fiber-polymer interface adhesion
Water-based sizing solutions designed to optimize interfacial adhesion in composites using carbon fiber.
2030 Goals
Michelman is committed to sustaining our planet by continually reducing our footprint and bringing planet-positive solutions to the marketplace.
Sustainable Packaging
Future proofing, problem solving, and above all, collaborating. Our people, our planet, shaping the circular economy of tomorrow.
Thinking Ahead
Plastic is often the best option for packaging due to its light weight and high barrier, helping avoid food waste.
News (Tuesday, 7 May 2024)
Michelman showcases new DigiPrime® Vision inline primer and award-winning barrier coatings, enabling more sustainable labels and packaging.
News (Thursday, 29 February 2024)
Unleashing the full potential of digital, sustainable print practices, and regulatory considerations for flexible packaging.
News (Thursday, 18 January 2024)
Michelman earns recognition, across the globe, for maintaining a nurturing workplace culture that supports personal growth and development.
Our corporate values are a testimony of our highest priorities as individuals and as a company.
We view science as a force for positive change and central to our purpose of Innovating a Sustainable Future.
We are proud members of the following industry trade associations and organizations.
Michelman is a global company with offices in the Americas, Asia and Europe.
Located all over the world, Michelman distribution partners have the expertise to help you win.
Michelman’s Board of Directors was formed nearly 30 years ago in 1995. As a privately held company, forming this Board was a discretionary decision. The Board, which includes both company owners and experienced industry leaders from outside of Michelman, helps us maintain a commitment to excellence and to intentional stewardship of the organization.
Board members provide guidance to drive adherence to Michelman’s Purpose, Vision, Values, and Strategies. They also help achieve compliance to internal initiatives and external legal requirements. The Board provides a framework for executive leader accountability – we know we do best when we define business goals and then hold ourselves accountable for achieving those goals.
Our Board members are listed below:
Currently Michelman’s Board Chair, Steve Shifman has more than 30 years of business development experience in the advanced materials manufacturing industry and was Michelman’s President & CEO from 2003-2021. Under his leadership, revenue EBITDA was increased and Michelman’s presence outside the United States expanded into India, Singapore, and China. Steve also oversaw the creation and development of a robust, actively-engaged Board that provides an important foundation for Michelman as it builds its business for future generations. A consistent award winner over the course of his career, Steve was especially proud of earning recognition as the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year® Winner for demonstrating excellence and success in the manufacturing sector in the areas of innovation, financial performance, and personal commitment to business and community. Steve attained an MBA from Xavier University and a BS in Business Administration from the University of Colorado. He has been providing his leadership expertise to many philanthropic organizations including the United Way of Greater Cincinnati, Teach For America, Cincinnati Regional Business Committee, Cintrifuse, Cincinnati Jewish Community, and the Mayerson Jewish Community Center. Steve currently serves a number of privately held, multi-generational family businesses as both a Board member and as a CEO Coach. Steve and his wife Julie have four sons, four wonderful daughters-in-law, and three grandchildren. He enjoys cycling, golf, hiking, skiing, pickleball, travel, the arts, and great wine and food!
Dr. John Michelman has been Board Chairman or Chairman Emeritus since 2003. He has been a strong advocate of environmentally sustainable technology both personally and professionally. Dr. Michelman began his career at Michelman in 1965 as Director of Research & Development and has held various leadership positions throughout the company, including Vice President & Chief Operating Officer and President & CEO. Formally educated as a theoretical chemist with a B.S. in Chemistry with Honors from the University of Cincinnati, he earned both an M.S. and Ph.D. in Chemistry from Harvard University. He helped grow Michelman from a small, privately owned business into an international and world-class organization. He was one of the driving forces in the company’s success. He is currently a board member of the University of Cincinnati Economic Center. Additionally, he has served on the Board of Directors for the Cancer Support Community as well as the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati.
Dr. Richard (Rick) I. Michelman, President & CEO, has been with Michelman for 28 years, acquiring broad operation and market knowledge. His roles have spanned product development, technology management, enterprise software implementation, new business development, regional leadership, and business segment leadership. Before joining Michelman, Rick worked at Raychem (now Tyco). Rick obtained his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of California at Berkeley and his A.B. from Cornell University. With a strong focus on honing his leadership skills, Rick has participated in ongoing leadership training through the University of Chicago’s Executive Institute and Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Cincinnati program. Rick’s has lent his Executive Leadership skills to multiple community and industry organizations including the National Regional Offices Committee of the AJC, the Board of Trustees for the Contemporary Arts Center of Cincinnati, the Innovation Research Interchange (IRI), the Cincinnati Regional Business Committee, and The CROWN, Cincinnati’s 34-mile urban trail loop, a multi-use paved trail that connects the city’s iconic landmarks and hidden gems. Rick is a member of the Tugboat Institute, which brings inspiration, new ideas, and proven best practices about business, family, and life for privately held company CEOs.
Andrew Michelman, Executive Vice President and a member of Michelman’s Board of Directors, oversees the company’s commercial operations in the Americas and Asia, and manages its company’s Fibers & Composites and Coatings market segments. He joined the company in 2015 as its Vice President, Strategy and Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), after accumulating 20 years of global M&A experience. Before coming to Michelman, Andrew served as a principal of a private equity investment group located in Birmingham and London, England. In addition, he has worked in investment banking with Citigroup in New York and London and as a strategy and corporate development consultant with European-based manufacturer Valliant Group. Andrew currently resides in Cincinnati, Ohio with his wife and two children.
Julie Shifman has a passion for keeping good food out of landfill and using it to feed people. She is the co-founder and Executive Director of Last Mile Food Rescue, Greater Cincinnati’s large scale point-to-point food rescue operation. Julie is a non-profit leader, inspirational speaker, and author. She started her career as a professional ballet dancer, and then became a successful lawyer in New York City and Cincinnati. In 2008, Julie founded Act Three, an organization that helped women define their next stage of life, and she became a certified coach. Julie is also the author of Act Three: Create the Life You Want. For Julie’s next act she served for five years as Executive Director of Adopt A Class. Julie’s formal training includes a B.A. from North Central College, a Juris Doctorate from the University of Colorado, and a Masters in Tax Law from New York University. Julie is the mother of four sons and is actively involved in the Cincinnati community. She served as the Chairperson of the Board of Talbert House, (the largest social service agency in Southern Ohio). She was also the Chair of the Tax Section of the Cincinnati Bar Association; a board member of the United Way of Greater Cincinnati (serving on the Executive committee), and a board member (serving on the Executive committee) of the Cincinnati Ballet Company.
Dr. Karen Smith Bogart is President of California-based Smith Bogart Consulting, which focuses on business growth and turn-around. She was previously Senior Vice President at Eastman Kodak Company, where she managed many of Kodak’s largest global businesses. Dr. Bogart was also the Chairman and President of Greater Asia, located in Shanghai, China, where she managed the company’s businesses and operations across Asia. A Michelman board member since 2015, she is also a director of Mohawk Industries (MHK), a NYSE listed floor covering firm. Dr. Bogart formerly served as a director of Monolithic Power Systems, a NASDAQ listed semiconductor company; Silver Maple Ventures, Inc. - FrontFundr, a Canadian online fintech firm; ZBE, a private digital printing system company; and five businesses in Asia. She is the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of Fielding Graduate University and a Director of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) – Pacific Southwest Chapter. She holds a Ph.D. and an M.A. in Human and Organizational Systems from Fielding Graduate University, an M.B.A. from the University of Rochester, a Master of Industrial and Labor Relations (MILR) from Cornell University, and a B.A. in Political Science from the State University of New York at Geneseo. Recognitions include National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) “Directorship Certified”, NACD “Directorship 100”, NACD Board Leadership Fellow, Directors and Boards “Director to Watch”, and Life Moments for Women “100+ Extraordinary California Women”.
Keith Harrison was a successful Corporate Officer of Procter & Gamble for over 40 years. Prior to his retirement in 2011, he had assignments of increasing responsibility throughout the company including Vice President Product Supply, EMEA; Vice President and General Manager, Western Europe Tissue/Towel; and Global Product Supply Officer. A Michelman board member since 2014, Keith is a results-driven leader, with substantial experience leading large, diverse, global organizations. He is a board member of multiple organizations including Midmark Corporation, HBH Holdings, and Hayco Manufacturing Ltd. (Hong Kong). Keith is a Past Chair of the Cincinnati Museum Center. He has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Duke University and has previously held trustee positions at both The National Manufacturing Institute and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM).
John Buckley is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Wilbur-Ellis, a leading international marketer and distributor of agricultural products, animal feed and specialty chemicals and ingredients. Elected to Michelman’s board in 2016, John is a senior executive with more than 40 years of experience in business management, engineering, manufacturing, sales and marketing. Prior to his position at Wilbur-Ellis, he was the Chief Executive Officer of Air Liquide USA, President of Angus Chemical, and Global General Manager at Dow Consumer and Industrial Solutions. He has also held executive positions at Rohm and Haas Company. John holds a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Villanova University and serves on the Board of Directors of the Boys and Girls Club of Philadelphia, and The Center for Pursuit in Houston.
Jeff Prosinski has served as Chief Financial Officer of the J.M. Huber Corporation (Huber) since 2006. He joined Huber in 2003 as Vice President of Finance in charge of the Tax and Internal Audit Departments and was named Corporate Controller of Huber in 2004. He became an Executive Vice President in 2017. Mr. Prosinski is a member of the Huber Management Council and has served on the Management Boards of three of Huber’s current portfolio companies, as well as several legacy business units. He is currently Board Chair of Huber Engineered Woods, having previously served on its board from 2005 to 2009 and again from 2011 to 2012. He became a member of the CP Kelco Board in May 2016, after serving as a board member for Huber Engineered Materials since 2012. Prior to joining Huber, Mr. Prosinski worked at PolyOne Corporation, where he was the Finance Director for the North American Plastics organization from 1994 to 2003. He helped integrate and consolidate the finance organizations of Geon Company and M.A. Hanna Company, which led to the creation of PolyOne (now known as Avient Corporation). During Mr. Prosinski’s career at M.A. Hanna, he led several finance teams and the business development team, as well as numerous M&A initiatives. From 1986 to 1994, he was a Senior Manager, International Tax and Transaction Support, at Price Waterhouse (now PWC). Mr. Prosinski holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Miami University and an MBA from Case Western Reserve University. He is a certified public accountant.
Dr. Chuck Xu is Corporate Vice President and General Manager of the $2B Interconnect Solutions Division of DuPont de Nemours, Inc. Chuck’s broad commercial and technical acumen—in both industrial and consumer markets—cuts across the advanced printing, automotive, aerospace, electronics, advanced materials, biomaterials, medical, and consumer industries. He has acquired valuable corporate experience in roles of rapidly escalating responsibility while working in multiple business units at DuPont, as well as Honeywell and Telephotonics, an integrated fiber optics startup. Chuck’s fluency in Mandarin and expertise in Chinese business culture will help fuel Michelman’s growth in China. His stellar educational background includes a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from Peking University, a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Southern California, and an MBA from Columbia University. Chuck began his term on the Michelman Board of Directors in the fourth quarter of 2022.