Directors
Darwin Simpson
Director
Darwin Simpson, U.S. Army Major General (ret.) brings a background of exceptional leadership to Viachem from distinguished executive careers in the private sector and the military. Mr. Simpson was President and CEO of Univar, the largest chemical distributor in the United States, and former President and CEO, North America, for Vopak, the world’s largest terminal storage provider.
Before retiring from military service, Mr. Simpson was Major General in the U.S. Army, commanding the 263rd Army Air and Missile Defense Command. He is a veteran of Operation Noble Eagle (ONE), the military operations related to homeland security activated in response to the attacks of September 11, 2001. Mr. Simpson, a native of South Carolina, is a board member of the Freeman Gas Company, the Spartanburg Humane Society, and St. Luke’s free Medical Clinic. He is former trustee of Wofford College.
Gene Sabatier
Director
Gene Sabatier is a well-known leader among chemical producers and distributors with more than 37 years in the industry. As President of Vopak North America, Mr. Sabatier restructured the marine terminal, waste disposal and railcar cleaning company and acquired a new chemical terminal.
Prior to Vopak, Mr. Sabatier was a member of Univar’s senior management team, guiding the company’s growth and strategic direction, negotiating and integrating the acquisitions of McKesson Chemical, Dixie Chemical and Ellis and Everhard, and implementing the company’s commercial e-commerce efforts.
Bob Wills
Director
Bob Wills brings Viachem a wealth of experience in executive management and leadership. He is currently the CEO of SEA Wire and Cable of Madison, Alabama, a supplier of mil-spec wire, cable and related harnessing products that focuses on the aerospace and military market. Prior to being named CEO, Mr. Wills served as president, general manager, operations manager and salesman during his 21 years with SEA. Under his leadership, SEA has grown from a small operation to an industry powerhouse with 5,000 customers. SEA has earned Boeing’s prestigious Chairman’s Award, Lockheed’s Star Supplier Award and DRS Technology Supply Chain Strategic Supplier. An alumnus of Presbyterian University, Mr. Wills has served on the Board of Directors of the Huntsville Boys and Girls Club, Bank Alabama, Union Planters Bank, Torch Concepts and Randolph School, and has coached soccer and football in the local recreation league.
Mike Efting
Director, President and Founder of Viachem
Mike Efting has been a senior executive in the chemical distribution industry for more than 32 years, and an entrepreneur for well over a decade. While an executive with Univar, the largest chemical distributor in the U.S., Mr. Efting foresaw the possibilities and efficiencies technology could bring to chemical distribution. With funding from Univar, he founded ChemPoint.com in 1998, a new technology-based business model that automated and streamlined sales and distribution of specialty chemicals. Mr. Efting’s innovation and leadership have yielded a solid track record of results for ChemPoint.com that continues to this day.
With the success of Chempoint.com, Mr. Efting was recruited to develop and lead an online services network for the global mining industry. With $130 million of investment capital, he founded Quadrem in 2000, which is now the most successful and only global supply-chain eMarketplace in the world. Mr. Efting led Quadrem for five years, charting consistent year-over-year double-digit growth and expansion. Today, Quadrem’s eMarketplace expedites more than $22 billion in spending worldwide for partners such as Nestlé, Schlumberger and Renault.
In 2006, specialty chemical distribution beckoned again, and Mr. Efting launched Viachem, Ltd. with former colleagues from Univar. Taking the Best Practices he developed for ChemPoint.com, improving sales and marketing processes, increasing personalized “high-touch” support for producers and end-users, and incorporating the newest innovations in CRM database technology, Viachem has enjoyed continuous profitable growth. Just four years after its founding, Viachem, Ltd. was one of 15 finalists in the ICIS Chemical Business 2010 Global Innovation Awards, finishing as runner-up in the Best Business Innovation category. Mr. Efting, a graduate of the University of South Carolina, is a popular speaker at management forums and industry groups, and is a frequent expert resource for members of the print and electronic media around the world. He serves on the Board of Directors of Feldav, Inc.
