COMPANY > Board of Directors

Board of Directors

Craig S. Shular

Chairman of the Board since 2007

Age 57

Mr. Shular is our Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President. He has been a driving force in growing our sales from $613 million in 2002 to over $1.2 billion in 2008, creating positive cash flow, and reducing our debt from over $700 million in 2002 to less than $100 million at the of 2008.

He originally joined GrafTech's predecessor company, Union Carbide Corporation's Carbon Products Division, and from 1976 through 1979 succeeded in positions in the areas of business management, sales and marketing, operations, government relations, internal audit, and international finance and accounting.

Mr. Shular was recruited to GrafTech in 1999 as our Chief Financial Officer with responsibility for treasury, investor relations, mergers and acquisitions, insurance, cash management, foreign exchange risk management, pension fund administration and banking relations.

In 2008, he was recognized as an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year®, which is recognized as one of the most prestigious business award programs in the country. Award winners are selected by a panel of independent judges, including local business owners - many of whom have won the award in the past as well as area leaders from civic organizations and academic institutions.

His career with GrafTech includes:

February 2007 Elected Chairman of the Board
January 2003 Elected Chief Executive Officer and Director
May 2002 Elected President
May 2002 – December 2002 Chief Operating Officer
August 2001 - December 2002 Executive Vice President, Graphite Electrodes
February 2000 – August 2001 Executive Vice President, Electrode Sales
January 1999 Elected Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Prior to rejoining GrafTech in 1999, Mr. Shular advanced his career at Union Carbide Corporation in progressively increased areas of responsibility, including internal auditor, Far East Financial Controller for Indonesia and, Area Finance Manager for Asia Pacific. His contributions also included positions as Currency and Interest Risk Manager Far East Area Treasurer for Asia Pacific, Business Director/General Manager for the Emulsion Polymers business, and Corporate Treasurer of a major joint venture headquartered in Milan, Italy. While with Union Carbide, he initiated and led the construction of its first production facilities in China and the Middle East.

Mr. Shular earned his Bachelor of Science degree in business and marketing and an MBA in finance and accounting from the State University of New York at Buffalo. In 1990 he became a certified public accountant in the state of New York.

Mr. Shular serves on the Board of Directors of Junior Achievement of Greater Cleveland and is a director of Brush Engineered Materials Inc., a NYSE listed company.


Mary B. Cranston

Director since 2000

Age 62

Ms. Cranston is the senior partner and, from 1999 to December 2006, served as Chair of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, an international law firm. Ms. Cranston is based in San Francisco, California. Ms. Cranston has been practicing complex litigation, including antitrust, telecommunications and securities litigation, with Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP since 1975. She is currently a director of Visa, Inc., and serves on the audit committee of its board of directors, Juniper Networks Inc. and International Rectifier Corporation. She is a trustee of Stanford University and the San Francisco Ballet and a director of the California State Automobile Association, the Bay Area Council, the Commonwealth Club of California, and the San Francisco Museum of Women


Harold E. Layman

Director since 2003

Age 63

From 2001 until his retirement in 2002, Mr. Layman was President and Chief Executive Officer of Blount International, Inc. Prior thereto, Mr. Layman served in other capacities with Blount International, including President and Chief Operating Officer from 1999 to 2001, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer from 1997 to 2000, and Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer from 1993 to 1997. From 1981 through 1992, he held various financial management positions with VME Group/Volvo AB. From 1970 to 1980, Mr. Layman held various operations and financial management positions with Ford Motor Company. He is currently a director of Blount International Inc. and Infinity Property and Casualty Corporation.


Ferrell P. McClean

Director since 2002

Age 63

Ms. McClean was a Managing Director and the Senior Advisor to the head of the Global Oil & Gas Group in Investment Banking at J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. from 2000 through the end of 2001. She joined J.P. Morgan & Co. Incorporated in 1969 and founded the Leveraged Buyout and Restructuring Group within the Mergers & Acquisitions Group in 1986. From 1991 until 2000, Ms. McClean was a Managing Director and co-headed the Global Energy Group within the Investment Banking Group at J.P. Morgan & Co. Ms. McClean is currently a director of El Paso Corporation. She retired as a director of Unocal Corporation in 2005.


Michael C. Nahl

Director since 1999

Age 67

Mr. Nahl has been Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Albany International Corp., a manufacturer of paper machine clothing, which are the belts of fabric that carry paper stock through the paper production process, since April 2005. Mr. Nahl joined Albany International Corp. in 1981 as Group Vice President, Corporate, and, prior to appointment to his present position, he was Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Nahl is currently a director and audit committee member of Lindsay Corporation and a member of JPMorgan Chase and Company’s Regional Board.


Frank A. Riddick, III

Director since 2004

Age 53

Mr. Riddick is a consultant to TowerBrook Capital Partners L.P., a New York and London-based investment management and private equity firm. Prior to joining TowerBrook, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of Formica Corporation, a manufacturer of surfacing materials used in countertops, cabinets, and flooring, from 2002 to 2008. He served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Armstrong Holdings, Inc. from February 2000 to November 2001 and in various other executive capacities at Armstrong and its subsidiaries from 1995 to 2000. Prior to joining Armstrong, he held a number of financial managerial positions with FMC Corporation, General Motors Corporation and Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. Mr. Riddick is a member of the Board of Visitors of the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. He is currently a director of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. and serves as its Audit Committee chairman.


Randy Carson

Director since 2009

Age 58

Mr. Carson served as Chief Executive Officer of the Electrical Group of Eaton Corporation (NYSE: ETN), a global diversified industrial manufacturer with 2008 sales of $15.4 billion. Eaton’s Electrical Group is a global technology leader in electrical components and systems for power quality, distribution and control. Mr. Carson was instrumental in growing the Electrical Group from $2.2 billion in 1999 to $6.9 billion in 2008 through aggressive organic growth and significant acquisitions. In his ten year tenure, Mr. Carson was involved in numerous acquisitions, increasing Eaton’s presence outside of North America and establishing a strong global footprint. Mr. Carson was also a key LEAN proponent, enabling operating margin expansion and increased cash flow from operations at Eaton.

Prior to joining Eaton in February 1999, Mr. Carson had a twenty-six year career with Rockwell Corporation in which he was responsible for many of the Company’s automation businesses. Mr. Carson also serves on the Board of Directors for Fairchild Semiconductor International, Inc., Nordson Corporation and Southwire Company, one of the world’s largest cable and wire manufacturers. Mr. Carson received a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Valparaiso University.