Hemant Dandekar

Hemant Dandekar is a seasoned global business executive with over 20 years of experience driving growth and turnaround strategies for various businesses and ventures. Hemant has successfully overseen organizations ranging from $20-300 million, spanning corporate divisions, standalone businesses, and those under private equity ownership. His expertise lies in setting strategic direction and implementing intricate business initiatives such as mergers, divestitures, venture investments, restructurings, technology advancements, and global expansions. With a strong entrepreneurial mindset, Hemant has driven new business opportunities, commercialized technology R&D, and formed strategic partnerships and joint ventures.

His leadership has fostered a culture of talent development and high-performance management, leading to impactful changes in organizational dynamics and successful leadership transitions. Hemant is known for his ability to build effective relationships with external stakeholders, including customers, board of directors, private equity firms, and regulatory bodies. His diverse industry experience spans sectors like refining, petrochemicals, power generation, coatings, printing, appliances, and consumer goods. He actively contributes as a startup mentor, advisor on boards of directors, and serves as a member of nonprofit boards. Hemant's academic qualifications include an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering.

Hemant excels in areas such as P&L management, strategic planning, acquisitions, organic growth initiatives, joint ventures, sales and marketing strategies, operational enhancements, working capital management, talent acquisition and development, and board/ownership/regulatory management. He is also well-versed in startup dynamics, entrepreneurship, leadership strategies, venture capital, business development, corporate strategy, mergers and acquisitions, product development, commercialization, and global marketing and operations.

Throughout his career, Hemant has held key positions such as Global Commercial Director - Advanced Interlayers Auto at Eastman Chemical Company, Director of Marketing and Strategy, Director of Corporate Strategy, and various other leadership roles within the organization. He has also actively contributed as a board member at Jumpstart Foundry and Habitat for Humanity Dickson-Cheatham County, TN. Additionally, Hemant has served as President & CEO of Porcelain Industries Inc., VP - Acquisition Integration at Hexion Inc., VP/GM - Americas at Hexion Specialty Chemicals, and GM of the Global Business and Americas Inks Raw Materials division at Eastman Chemical Company among other notable roles.

Overall, Hemant Dandekar is a results-driven professional with a strategic mindset and a wealth of experience in steering businesses through various stages of growth, transformation, and innovation across different industries and business environments.