Orbia Fluor & Energy Materials (formerly Koura) has announced the appointments of a new General Manager, Global Commercial Director, UK Operations Director, and Technical Manager for its Pharma Business Unit, which includes Zephex brand MDI propellants, including its HFA 152a LGWP propellant.
All of the newly announced appointments took place in the second half of 2024. In December 2024, Orbia announced plans for a new Zephex 152a manufacturing facility with significantly more capacity than the original facility opened in 2022.
The new appointments include the promotion of Markus Laubscher to the position of General Manager. Laubscher joined Orbia in 2020 as Director of Circular Economy and Regeneration. Prior to joining Orbia, Laubscher held a number of positions at Philips over 15 years, starting as a biomedical researcher, then serving as Senior Manager of Business Development, and finally as Program Manager, Circular Economy.
The other new hires are Patrick Buckley as Global Commercial Director, Jo Graham as UK Operations Director, and Darren Bromley-Davenport as Technical Manager. Buckley was most recently an Account Manager at Medidata Solutions and has previous experience in sales roles at IQIVA, STEM Healthcare, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Sanofi. Graham was most recently Chief Operations Officer of Tata Chemicals Europe. Bromley-Davenport joined Orbia from Portal Medical Ltd, which he founded in 2008 and which specializes in gas plasma coating for MDI canisters.
Laubscher commented, “Over the past few months, it has been fantastic to come together as a new team. I have full confidence in our leadership’s ability to drive Orbia’s pharmaceutical business forward. Our mission is to provide the highest quality medical propellants, enabling millions to manage their respiratory conditions, further widening access to this vital product globally, and the team is deeply motivated and united by this purpose.”
Read the Orbia press release
