Praxair Names Panikar to Lead Packaged Gases Business in North America
Praxair, Inc. has named John Panikar president of Praxair Distribution, Inc. The subsidiary, with 2009 sales of $1.3 billion and 470 locations, manages the company’s packaged gases business in the U.S. and Canada.
Prior to this assignment, Panikar was vice president of the U.S. South Region of Praxair’s North American Industrial Gases (NAIG) business unit. The 10-state South Region includes Praxair’s major pipeline complex along the Gulf Coast and many of Praxair’s largest refining and petrochemical customers.
Panikar joined Praxair in 1991 and held assignments in operations and project management in Praxair’s electronics business before being appointed Asia business manager for electronics in 1999. He was named director of business development for Praxair Asia in 2002, with additional responsibility for managing the helium, specialty gases, medical gases and carbon dioxide growth markets for Praxair Asia. He became managing director of Praxair India in 2004. He returned to the U.S. in 2008 as vice president of product management and analysis for NAIG and was appointed vice president of the South Region in early 2009. Panikar holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Rochester.
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