ST. LOUIS, Nov. 14, 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- It is
with great sadness that Sigma-Aldrich Corporation (Nasdaq: SIAL)
announces that Dr. Jai P.
Nagarkatti, its Chairman, President and CEO, died suddenly
and unexpectedly of an apparent heart attack Saturday, November 13, 2010 in St. Louis, Missouri. He was 63 years
old.
Jai Nagarkatti spent his entire
career with Sigma-Aldrich beginning in 1976, with his positions
spanning R&D, manufacturing, operations, sales and marketing.
His effectiveness and dedication were recognized in each
function, and led to steady promotions and increasing
responsibilities. Dr. Nagarkatti was elected President and
Chief Operating Officer in 2004, elected to the additional roles of
CEO in 2006 and Chairman of the Board in 2009. He had been a
member of the Board of Directors since 2005. Under Dr.
Nagarkatti's leadership and with his guidance, the Company's
continued focus on service, quality, and innovation led it to
become a leading global life sciences and high tech company.
In that same period, Dr. Nagarkatti's vision drove the
Company's renewed focus on sustainability and corporate
responsibility, touching countless persons in the Company and the
communities in which it operates.
Speaking on behalf of the Board and staff of the Company,
Barrett Toan, Sigma-Aldrich's
Presiding Director said, "The entire Sigma-Aldrich global
organization mourns the loss of Jai and our thoughts and prayers
are with his wife, Susan, and his daughter Shanti. Our
deepest sympathies go out to them. He was respected by the
Company's 7,700 employees and will be missed."
Sigma-Aldrich's Board of
Directors has had in place a careful succession plan for key
officers, including the CEO. Drawing upon over a year of work
on a succession plan for senior leadership, the Board has elected
Rakesh Sachdev as President and CEO.
Mr. Sachdev most recently served as Chief Financial Officer,
Chief Administrative Officer, and Senior Vice President of the
International business. Mr. Sachdev, age 54, has also been
elected to the Sigma-Aldrich Board of Directors as of November 14, 2010.
The Board also has elected Barrett
Toan as Chairman as of November 14,
2010.
Mr. Sachdev joined the Company in 2008 from ArvinMeritor, where
he was Senior Vice President and President Asia Pacific. At
ArvinMeritor, he also served in diverse leadership roles, including
Interim CFO, Senior Vice President Strategy and Corporate
Development and Vice President and General Manager of several of
their global businesses. Prior to joining ArvinMeritor, Mr. Sachdev
worked for Cummins Inc. in various leadership roles, including CFO
for one of its largest business units, and as Managing Director of
its Mexican operations. Mr. Sachdev earned his Masters in
Business Administration degree from Indiana
University, a Masters degree in Engineering from the
University of Illinois and his
Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering from the prestigious
Indian Institute of Technology in
New Delhi. He also serves as a
member of the Board of Directors of Regal Beloit, Inc.
Mr. Toan, age 63, served as Chairman of Express Scripts from
1996 to 2006 and as CEO of Express Scripts, Inc. from 1989 to 2005.
He has served on the Board of Directors of Sigma-Aldrich
since 2001 and, with his appointment as Chairman, served as the
Board's Presiding Director. In that role he presided over
independent directors executive sessions at the Board meetings and
acted as a liaison between the Chairman and independent directors
in matters relating to the Board.
Sigma-Aldrich will hold a
conference call to discuss these matters on Monday, November 15, 2010 10:00am Central Time (11:00am Eastern Time).
Date:
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November 15, 2010
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Time:
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10:00am Central Time
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Toll-Free:
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877-266-0483
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International:
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707-287-9342
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Passcode:
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25718931
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Further inquiries should be made to Kirk
Richter, Vice President and Treasurer, at 314-286-8004.
About Sigma-Aldrich: Sigma-Aldrich is a leading Life Science and High
Technology company. Its biochemical and organic chemical products
and kits are used in scientific research, including genomic and
proteomic research, biotechnology, pharmaceutical development and
as key components in pharmaceutical, diagnostic and other high
technology manufacturing. The Company has customers in life science
companies, university and government institutions, hospitals,
and in industry. Over one million scientists and technologists use
its products. Sigma-Aldrich
operates in 40 countries and has 7,700 employees providing
excellent service worldwide. Sigma-Aldrich is committed to Accelerating Customer
Success through Innovation and Leadership in Life Science, High
Technology and Service. For more information about Sigma-Aldrich,
please visit its award-winning Web site at
http://www.sigma-aldrich.com.
Sigma-Aldrich is a registered
trademark of Sigma-Aldrich Biotechnology L.P. and Sigma-Aldrich
Co.
SOURCE Sigma-Aldrich Corporation