Eastman Chemical Company Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Curtis E. Espeland will retire after nearly 25 years of service, says the company in a press statement.
Espeland will be succeeded on Feb. 28, 2020 by current Vice President, Finance William T. McLain, Jr. Espeland will continue to serve as executive vice president to assist the executive team with finance organization transition, corporate strategy, and portfolio optimization until his retirement in mid-2020.
Espeland joined Eastman in 1996 and has held multiple corporate and business finance positions with the company. He was appointed chief financial officer in 2008 and has been instrumental in overseeing the company’s financial and accounting, corporate strategy, corporate development and information technology organizations.
“On behalf of the board of directors and our executive team, I want to thank Curt for his significant contributions to Eastman for more than two decades,” says Eastman Board Chair and Chief Executive Officer Mark J. Costa. “Curt is a talented financial professional and has had an extraordinary career. I am personally very grateful for his pragmatic leadership and his vital role in the portfolio transformation that has been a foundational element of our strategy to become a leading specialty materials company.”
McLain joined Eastman in 2000 and brings significant domestic and international business experience as well as a strong background in finance and accounting. During his tenure at Eastman, he has served in several high-level finance and accounting roles throughout the organization in the United, Asia, and Europe. Most recently, McLain has served as vice president, finance, working with business teams on strategic planning and portfolio optimization. McLain received a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Management and a Bachelor of Science in accounting from Appalachian State University.