Founder · Global commercial executive
Experienced where commercial ambition meets operating reality.
Kane Henneke brings more than 25 years of specialty-chemicals, advanced-materials and international operating experience to Henneke Holdings. He helps leadership teams convert technical capability into clear market priorities, dependable local operations and profitable growth.
The executive profile
Commercial growth backed by technical fluency and operating discipline.
Kane's career began in technical service, laboratories, printing inks, coatings and plant support. It expanded through product marketing, international distribution, sales leadership, P&L ownership, acquisition integration and managing-director responsibility for a foreign-owned U.S. entity.
That progression matters. Kane can work with formulators, engineers and manufacturing teams, then carry the same discussion into pricing, market selection, channels, governance, working capital and executive decision-making.
What Kane brings
A practical combination of market, material and management experience.
Henneke Holdings is built around senior, hands-on leadership. Kane connects commercial strategy to the technical, operational and professional workstreams required to execute it.
Commercial strategy & P&L
Market selection, go-to-market planning, pricing, margin, budgets, forecasting, key accounts and performance governance.
Specialty materials & applications
Carbon black pigments, conductive materials, pigments, dyes, dispersions and polymer systems across plastics, coatings, inks, rubber, wire and cable.
Technical-to-commercial execution
Product positioning, application development, laboratory coordination, customer qualification and the translation of technical value into commercial growth.
International channels & market entry
Direct sales, distributors, representatives and partner networks across North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia and other international markets.
Infrastructure & operating control
Warehousing, freight, logistics, customer service, supply planning, customs coordination, landed-cost visibility and scalable operating routines.
Executive governance & integration
U.S. managing-director responsibilities, leadership reporting, acquisition integration, team design, decision rights and cross-functional accountability.
Private Equity & Chemical M&A.Kane is available for selected commercial diligence, 100-day planning, integration, board, advisory and chemical operating-partner mandates.
Review private-equity support Selected career results
Experience built inside demanding operating companies.
The results below were achieved while Kane served in leadership roles for the named employers. They are presented as evidence of his executive experience—not as Henneke Holdings client results, current revenue or a guarantee of future performance.
North American platform
Built an employer-owned North American specialty-carbon business from minimal legacy presence to a $30M+ company revenue platform in under four years, while extending the operating model into Europe.
Incremental growth
Delivered more than $20M in incremental specialty-carbon growth during Kane’s Orion Engineered Carbons tenure.
New-business pipeline
Built a new-business pipeline valued above $18M while leading regional commercial functions at Heubach.
International integration
Led the commercial integration of a $15M acquired business with employees and commercial activity across eight countries at Chromaflo.
Leadership approach
Direct, collaborative and accountable from the first decision.
Kane's approach is built around facts, clear ownership and respect for the people closest to the work. The objective is practical progress—not a strategy document that sits unused.
Start with market evidence
Separate proven demand from attractive assumptions. Define the customer, application, economics and route to market before adding unnecessary cost.
Connect commercial and technical teams
The strongest growth plans align customer needs, product performance, manufacturing capability, quality, supply and commercial execution.
Protect people and customers
Change should preserve valuable operating knowledge, customer confidence and the people who make the business work.
Create visible accountability
Clear ownership, practical measures, regular operating reviews and direct communication turn strategy into dependable execution.
Scale in disciplined stages
Build the next layer of people, inventory, systems or capacity when market results and operating economics support the decision.
Career progression
Technical foundation. Global commercial scope. Enterprise responsibility.
Kane's experience spans specialty chemicals, pigments, colorants, carbon materials and application-driven industrial markets, with increasing responsibility across functions, regions and operating systems.
2022–present
Global Specialty Materials Leadership
Managing Director of a U.S. legal entity; Vice President of Sales, Marketing & Product Management—North America & Europe; expanded global specialty-materials marketing and trade-compliance responsibility.Commercial, technical, distribution, warehousing, logistics, customs, governance and market-development leadership for specialty carbon black and advanced-material applications.
2021–2022
Heubach Group
Head of Sales, Marketing, Customer Service & Distribution—North and Central America.Regional leadership across pigments, colorants, coatings, plastics, inks, customer service, distribution and post-merger integration.
2013–2021
Orion Engineered Carbons
Sales, Technical & Marketing Manager—Americas, Specialty Carbon Black.Growth, channel strategy and technical-market development across plastics, coatings, inks, conductive materials, rubber and specialty industrial applications.
2011–2013
Chromaflo Technologies
Director of Sales—North and South America; Acquisition & Integration Team Leader.P&L, sales, contracts, distribution, technical resources and the commercial integration of an international acquired business.
2005–2011
Keystone Aniline Corporation
Global Marketing & Business Manager / International Business Manager.CASE, inks, pigments, dyes, dispersions, formulation development, customer service, purchasing and manufacturing alignment.
Technical and commercial progression
Earlier career foundation
Ciba Specialty Chemicals; Polynt / Cook Composites & Polymers; Handschy Industries.Pigments, dyes, UV technologies, product marketing, NAFTA distribution, packaging inks, coatings, laboratory work, plant support and technical service.
Education & technical foundation
Business leadership grounded in how products are developed, made and sold.
Business Administration
Accounting and organizational-behavior emphasis · summa cum laude, 3.95 GPA
Paper & Printing Sciences
Chemical-engineering and industrial-marketing focus · Western Michigan University
Commercial and operating tools
SAP BW business analysis, Salesforce CRM, business analytics, forecasting, customs and trade-compliance leadership.
Clear engagement boundaries
Executive leadership does not replace licensed professional advice.
Kane defines the commercial and operating requirement, organizes the facts and coordinates execution. Legal, tax, accounting, customs-brokerage, employment, regulatory, banking and other licensed work remains with the client's qualified professionals and authorized providers.
A formal Managing Director, officer, signatory or fiduciary role exists only when separately approved and documented by the applicable legal entity and governing body, with written authority, reporting, term, indemnification and insurance.
Review professional-services boundariesDirect access. Disciplined follow-through.
Start with the business opportunity—or the customer action that needs attention.
Kane leads strategy, technical-commercial development and executive decisions. Heather supports customer communication, inside sales, order coordination and day-to-day follow-up. Together, they connect specialty expertise to responsive service.
Kane HennekeStrategy & technical-commercial leadershipEmail KaneCall 941-302-3301LinkedIn
Heather HennekeCommercial operations & customer serviceEmail HeatherCall 941-457-9410Text HeatherWhatsApp
Ordinary email and WhatsApp are not secure channels and do not create a nondisclosure agreement. Please do not send formulas, customer lists, personal data, trade secrets or other sensitive information until a written NDA and an appropriate transfer method are in place.