Leadership at Milliken
LEADING WITH PURPOSE
MILLIKEN LEADERSHIP
We are a global team of scientists, engineers, manufacturers, designers, thinkers, collaborators, and problem-solvers dedicated to creating positive impact through purposeful, innovative products.
Our strength lies not just in what we know, but in how we work—side-by-side with partners, across borders and industries, to deliver breakthrough solutions that shape a better future. Together, we’re not just solving challenges—we’re setting new global standards.
president and ceo
Halsey M. Cook Jr.
Mr. Cook is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Milliken & Company. Halsey leads the Milliken team of 7,000 associates across 70 plants and offices, serving customers in 135 countries around the world.
Prior to joining Milliken in 2018, Halsey was President and CEO of Sonepar USA, President of Legrand Electrical, and President of Carrier Corporation’s Residential and Light Commercial division. His 30-plus years of business experience in the Electrical and HVAC markets include senior P&L roles in manufacturing, distribution, product marketing, and development, based in France, Italy, the UK, and the United States.
Halsey graduated from the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee with degrees in Economics and English. He also received his MBA from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business.
Mr. Cook serves on the boards of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, Alliance to End Plastic Waste, National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), Palmetto Business Forum, and the Belle W. Baruch Foundation. He is also an independent director of Southwire Company, a leading global wire, cable, and tools manufacturer based in Carrollton, Georgia.
Executive Vice President, Global Operations, and Chief Supply Chain Officer
Michael Brown
Michael Brown is the Executive Vice President, Global Operations, and Chief Supply Chain Officer. In his current role, Michael leads Milliken’s Global Operations function, encompassing corporate logistics, transportation, sourcing, environmental health and safety (EH&S), corporate engineering, security, the Milliken Performance Solutions office, and Milliken’s consulting arm, Performance Solutions by Milliken. Michael joined Milliken in 2022.
Michael brings over twenty years of leadership experience from Albemarle Corporation. In his most recent role, he served as the Chief Operating Officer for the Bromine Specialties Global Business Unit. Throughout his career, Michael has lived in and managed manufacturing operations in South Carolina, Louisiana, Texas, Michigan, and Ohio. He has also overseen operations in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, and led the upgrade of Albemarle’s SAP production planning, maintenance, reliability, and quality systems.
Michael holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of South Carolina and a Chemical Engineering degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology, which included a summer internship with Milliken.
Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Encapsys
Michael Friese
Mike Friese is SVP & Managing Director of Milliken’s Encapsys Strategic Business Unit. He oversees a broad leadership portfolio that includes research and development, commercial, and business development aspects.
Mike began his career with Milliken in 2021 with the acquisition of Encapsys working as the Fragrance Business Director. Mike transitioned to the Encapsys VP and Business Manager in 2023 within the Chemical Division. Prior to joining Milliken, he held several business, operations, and technical leadership positions with Encapsys and previous Encapsys owner Appvion, Inc.
Mike is a graduate of Carroll University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and a minor in math. He also holds a master’s degree in paper science and engineering and a doctorate degree in paper science and engineering from Georgia Tech. His research focused on surface and colloid chemistry aspects of polymer adsoption to particles.
Executive Vice President and President, Technical Textiles
Allen Jacoby
Allen Jacoby is EVP & President of Milliken’s technical textiles business. He is responsible for the company’s automotive and engineered performance products, and provides operational and strategic oversight for OVIK Health, Milliken’s healthcare subsidiary.
Allen has extensive and versatile leadership experience at Milliken. He most recently served as president of the company’s textile business, leveraging his early experience in growing several of Milliken’s textile product lines. Prior to this role, Allen led enterprise-wide growth initiatives as Milliken’s Chief Strategy Officer and SVP of Corporate Development and Innovation. In 2013, he successfully led the plastic additives segment of Milliken’s chemical business, overseeing technological transitions and implementing growth strategies. Prior to Milliken, Allen held a variety of development, sales, marketing, and consulting roles in the chemical, pharmaceutical, and technology industries.
Allen holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Purdue University and a Master of Business Administration from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. He serves on the Board of Directors for the National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), is Chair of the NCTO Fabrics Council, and is Chairman of the Board for Upstate Forever. Allen’s past appointments include member of the Board of Directors for the Plastics Industry Association and delegate to the CEO on the Board for the Alliance to End Plastic Waste.
Executive Vice President and President, Flooring
Patrick Keese
Patrick Keese is the Executive Vice President and President of Milliken’s Flooring Business. Joining Milliken in 2023, Patrick oversees the global modular flooring business, which serves multiple industries and manufactures more than 290 product collections.
Patrick has an extensive background in international business leadership. Prior to joining Milliken, he served as Senior Vice President and General Manager for Altium Packaging, producing plastic and packaging components. He also held manufacturing and commercial roles at Sonoco Products Company, a global provider of consumer packaging, industrial products, protective packaging, and healthcare packaging solutions. During his time at Sonoco, Patrick spent six years abroad in Belgium and the U.K., leading Sonoco’s Consumer Products Division.
Patrick holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Management and Marketing from Clemson University, as well as certifications from various executive development programs at Columbia University and the Rensselaer Hartford Graduate Center. He currently serves on the Board of NSI, Inc., a Mill Point Capital company.
Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer, and Secretary
Kasel Knight
Kasel Knight is the Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer, and Secretary at Milliken. In her role as CLO, Kasel is responsible for all legal aspects of Milliken’s global, diversified manufacturing business. She also manages the company’s Sustainability, Government Relations, and Trade Compliance functions. As Secretary, she supports the Board of Directors and Stockholders on corporate governance matters.
Prior to joining Milliken, Kasel practiced mergers and acquisitions, as well as corporate and securities law, in Atlanta, GA, and Boston, MA. She received her BA, cum laude, in both English and French from Duke University and attended Duke University School of Law, where she served as a Staff Editor on the journal of Law & Contemporary Problems.
Kasel is a member of the Georgia, Massachusetts, and South Carolina bars. She is the President and a Board member of the SC Association of Corporate Counsel and a Board member of the Greenville Symphony Association and the Alumni Board of Christ Church Episcopal School.
Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Polymer Solutions
Jeff Losch
Jeff Losch is SVP and Managing Director of Milliken’s Polymer Solutions business. He oversees Milliken’s diverse portfolio of performance colorants and ingredients, coating additives, and fine chemical ingredients products.
He joined Milliken in 2023 as Vice President & Coating Additives Business Manager, where he grew the Borchers brand of catalysts and performance additives for paint, coating, and adhesive applications. Prior to Milliken, Jeff held several leadership positions in industrial products and specialty materials companies, including Valspar Corporation, Avery Dennison Corporation, Dow Chemical, and Swagelok Company. In those organizations, he held roles in sales, marketing, product management, strategy, and supply chain management, leading global business units and functions throughout his career.
Jeff received his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from West Virginia University and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard University. He is a board member of Minds Matter Cleveland, a non-profit dedicated to closing the education gap for low-income, high-potential high school students.
Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Apparel
Marcio Manique
Marcio Manique is SVP & Managing Director of Milliken’s Apparel Business Unit. He leads the company’s military, protective fabrics, and Polartec businesses that serve the outdoor performance, defense, fire service, workwear, and napery markets. In this role, Marcio is responsible for the business unit’s strategic direction, commercial performance, and operational excellence.
Prior to joining Milliken in 2024, Marcio held leadership positions at Dyneema for nearly a decade, driving growth in the consumer and professional protection and life protection sectors through deep industry collaboration. Prior to his tenure at Dyneema, Marcio had a distinguished 12-year career at DuPont, where he contributed significantly to business growth across the Latin American and U.S. markets, leading regional strategy and growing market share through customer-centric and innovative approaches.
A certified Six Sigma Master and Black Belt, Marcio holds a bachelor’s degree in metallurgical engineering from FEI-Brazil, a postgraduate degree in materials science, and an MBA in economics from the University of São Paulo.
Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Information Officer
David Smart
David Smart is the Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Information Officer at Milliken. In his current role, David leads finance, accounting, tax, treasury, information technology, and digital transformation. David joined the company in 2019.
Prior to joining Milliken, David served as Senior Vice President and CFO of Pella Corporation. There, he was a member of the Board of Directors and oversaw strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions, finance, accounting, internal audit, tax, treasury, legal, information technology, and business insights. David also had operational responsibilities for two business units and served for three years as the Chief Information Officer.
Before his role at Pella Corporation, David spent 20 years with Ford Motor Company in senior finance leadership roles, with assignments in both the United Kingdom and Australia.
David serves on the Board of Trustees for Converse University, is a member of the Indiana University (IU) Kelley School of Business Dean’s Council, and belongs to the IU CFO Roundtable. He holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor of Science in Finance, Business Economics, and Public Policy from Indiana University. David also served for seven years as a Board Member and President of the Indiana University Kelley School of Business Alumni Association.
Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer
Bethany Smith
Bethany Smith is the Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Milliken, where she leads HR strategy for the organization. She began her career at Milliken in 1994, working in three manufacturing facilities in two divisions as an industrial engineer, and ultimately, as a supply chain manager. After a successful stint in manufacturing, she spent 15 years at MAU Workforce Solutions, providing HR support to numerous global manufacturing companies, including Milliken.
In early 2015, Bethany rejoined Milliken as the Director of Talent Acquisition and has since held several progressive roles in HR within two of Milliken’s divisions and the company’s support functions. These roles led to her selection as Interim Chief Human Resources Officer in October 2023 and ultimately, being named Chief Human Resources Officer in February 2024.
Bethany holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Clemson University. She currently sits on the boards of the Charles Lea Center and the United Way of the Piedmont and has previously served as an Advisory Board member of the USC Business Partnership Foundation and the Association Board of the YMCA of Spartanburg. She has been happily married to her husband, Preston, for nearly 30 years, with whom she shared the privilege of raising two amazing children.
Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Plastic Additives
Wim Van De Velde
Wim Van de Velde is SVP & Managing Director of Milliken’s plastic additives business. He oversees the strategic direction and global operations of a portfolio that includes clarifying agents, nucleating agents, barrier improvement solutions, performance modifiers, and colorants used across a wide range of polymer applications.
Wim began his career at Milliken as a Key Account Manager for Europe in 2004. Since then, he has served in several commercial leadership roles, including global product line manager, plastic additives marketing director, regional director for Latin America Chemicals and Vice President EMEA Chemicals. Wim was named to his most recent role of Global Vice President, Plastic Additives in 2021. Prior to joining Milliken, Wim held various positions in sales management and sales engineering at Hobre Instruments B.V. and Ammeraal Beltech N.V. Belgium. Wim also serves as the delegate to the CEO on the Board of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste.
Wim earned a bachelor's degree in bio-chemical engineering from the University of Antwerp in 1995. He also earned a master's degree in bio-chemical engineering from KU Leuven in 1998 and an International MBA from Vlerick Business School in 2008.
Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer
Danna Vetter
Danna Vetter is the Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Milliken. In her current role, she leads marketing strategy, brand, communications, and customer experience. Danna joined Milliken in 2019.
Prior to joining Milliken, Danna was Senior Vice President, Global Marketing and Innovation at Aramark, where she was responsible for customer insights, corporate branding and communications, product innovation, health and wellness, brand portfolio management, customer experience, and digital marketing. She also served as Vice President of Business Development for Alloy Media + Marketing, driving innovation and industry-disrupting partnerships for key brands including Verizon Wireless, Sprint, Coca-Cola, Citibank, XM Satellite Radio, MTV, Maybelline, and AOL.
Danna is a graduate of Rutgers University, where she earned both her Bachelor’s in Marketing Communications and Master’s in Organizational Communication degrees. She served on the Pennsylvania Ballet Board for five years and became a Board member of the Rutgers Business School Center for Women in Business in 2020. Danna is also a founding board member of the National Charity League, South Carolina chapter, a non-profit program that embraces community service, leadership development, and cultural experiences for young women.
Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Asia, and (Acting) Chief Technology Officer
Ed Zhao
Ed Zhao is the Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Asia, and (Acting) Chief Technology Officer. In his current role, Ed leads our Asia strategy and portfolio management across all businesses. Ed joined Milliken in 1995 as a Research Scientist for Milliken’s Chemical Business, where he played a leading role in developing and commercializing new product lines.
During his tenure at Milliken, Ed has held various technical and business leadership positions, including Director of R&D for the global chemical business, Director of Sales, and Regional Manager of the Asia chemical business. He was appointed as Milliken’s Asia Managing Director in 2011.
Ed received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Science and Technology of China and a Ph.D. from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He is also a graduate of The Stanford Executive Program. Ed is a member of the China Petrochemical and Chemical Industry Federation, the American Chamber of Commerce in China, the China Task Force of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, and the American Chemical Society. He also serves as a Board member of the Georgia Tech China Foundation.