Corporate Officers

Mike Roman is the chairman of the board and chief executive officer of 3M, a $33 billion science-based company. He leads over 90,000 employees who collaborate to solve problems and improve lives in nearly all countries. The company applies its technology platforms to create differentiated solutions for customers that it brings to market through four business groups: Safety & Industrial, Transportation & Electronics, Health Care, and Consumer.

Under Mike’s leadership, 3M is advancing four priorities to drive growth and performance: Portfolio, Transformation, Innovation, and People & Culture. These priorities are a key element of the 3M Value Model, which enables the company to deliver for all of its stakeholders. One-third of 3M’s sales come from products introduced in the last five years, and the company has increased its dividend for each of the last 61 years. 3M has been included on Ethisphere’s list of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for six straight years, and was also recently recognized by Fast Company as one of the Best Employers for Innovators. In 2017 3M won the prestigious Catalyst Award for its commitment to diversity and inclusion; Mike is also a Catalyst Champion for Change, joining other CEO’s who have pledged to accelerate inclusion.

Mike became chairman of the board in May 2019 and chief executive officer in July 2018. In prior roles, he served as chief operating officer, led 3M’s largest business group and was the company’s chief strategist. Throughout his 30-year career at 3M, he has lived and led businesses around the world, including the United States, Europe and Asia. Mike joined 3M in 1988 as a senior design engineer.

Mike holds a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota. He’s a member of the University of Minnesota Foundation Board of Trustees. Mike and his family enjoy a variety of physical fitness and outdoor activities. As a former “Big” himself, Mike is also a long-time supporter of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, which pairs children with adult mentors.

As chief technology officer and senior vice president of innovation and stewardship, Dr. John Banovetz leads more than 8,000 scientists who connect 3M’s 51 technology platforms to solve the real-world needs of customers around the world. In this role, he leverages his many years of experience as both a technology and business leader.

John came to 3M in 1995 as a research chemist in the corporate R&D organization, working primarily on acrylic adhesives and tapes. In 2003 he joined McKinsey and Company, and in 2007 rejoined 3M and assumed responsibility for the overall planning and implementation of corporate strategic initiatives. He served in that role until 2012, when he became global business director for 3M’s Industrial Adhesives and Tapes Division. Three years later, he was tapped to lead 3M’s corporate research lab.

In 2016, John moved to West Europe to serve as Managing Director of 3M’s D-A-CH region, which represents the company’s combined operations in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. He was appointed 3M’s chief technology officer and senior vice president of research and development in July 2017.

In his current position, John remains focused on driving change, challenging the status quo and helping develop the 3M leaders of tomorrow. “Leadership is about serving more than yourself,” he says. “It’s about creating an environment that unlocks the full potential of teams and individuals and, as a result, achieves even higher performance and more engaged employees.”

John has a Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry from Stanford University, and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Hamline University. He was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota and still lives in the same neighborhood he grew up in. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and three kids, as well as a variety of outdoor activities including hiking, biking and fishing.

Ivan Fong, 3M’s senior vice president, general counsel & secretary, believes that good corporate attorneys bring equal understandings of both business and law to their work.

"Being trusted partners for solving complex and important business issues is one of our primary goals as a legal department," he says, a mindset that led to 3M's law department being recognized a few years ago by Corporate Counsel magazine as one of the Best Legal Departments.

Now in his seventh year at 3M, Ivan leads the company’s more than 550 Legal Affairs employees, including compliance, security and data teams. Before joining 3M in 2012, Ivan was general counsel for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, where he advised senior national security officials and led 1,800 lawyers. He has also served as chief legal officer and secretary of Cardinal Health, Inc., where he was named one of the “Twenty Most Influential General Counsel” by the National Law Journal.

An engineer-turned-attorney, Ivan appreciates being able to bring a diverse background to a company like 3M.

“To lead change, one must be prepared for the unexpected," Ivan says. "I believe the variety of experiences I have had – from starting my career as a chemical engineer, to being a partner in a large law firm to public service to being an in-house corporate attorney – has prepared me well for my current role at 3M."

An area that has proven important to Fong has been pro bono work, which has been steadily increasing at 3M. The company’s attorneys have partnered with Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services, LegalCORPS and the Children’s Law Center of Minnesota to assist low-income clients, budding entrepreneurs and foster children. Ivan also chaired the 2014 3M United Way campaign, which resulted in record contributions and volunteer hours.

Ivan began his legal career as a law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. He has also served as chair of the Association of Corporate Counsel, chair of the Association of General Counsel, chair of the American Bar Association’s Section of Science & Technology Law and a trustee of Stanford University. He has received several prestigious industry awards, including the Minnesota Lawyer Lifetime Achievement Award, the Legends in the Law Award, the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association Trailblazer Award, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund Justice-in-Action Award, and the ABA Spirit of Excellence Award. He is a member of the council of the American Law Institute, and serves on the boards of Equal Justice Works, a national non-profit that launches recent law school graduates in public interest careers, and Minnesota Public Radio, among other community activities.

Nick Gangestad, 3M’s chief financial officer, grew up on a farm in Iowa intending to pursue a traditional accounting practice. That’s certainly the path he started down, earning a bachelor’s degree in accounting followed by an MBA. But when he was in college, Nick participated in a corporate student program at 3M that started him down a different path. That was over three decades ago.

“Three aspects of 3M changed my mind,” Nick recalls. “This place operates like a family. I saw opportunities to do it all while working for one company. And I liked how 3M developed people.”

Now, he’s such a big believer in the company that he has a framed copy of the McKnight Principles hanging on his wall at 3M headquarters. William L. McKnight was a longtime 3M CEO whose management philosophy – of allowing room for the kind of experimentation that leads to breakthrough innovations – has shaped the company.

Innovation is clearly appealing to Nick, who was the first student in his high school to buy a computer. He was almost certainly the first student to start his own business, when he began programming videogames and selling them to his classmates. But he also hasn’t wandered too far afield from his first love of accounting.

Nick began at 3M in 1987 as a systems analyst in the company’s finance office. He became a plant accountant a few years later, followed by financial analyst and financial manager roles in various divisions in the U.S., Latin America and the Asia Pacific regions. In 2003, Nick was named vice president of Finance and Information Technology for 3M Canada. In 2007, Nick returned to Minnesota to direct corporate accounting for the company, followed in 2011 by a new role as corporate controller and chief accounting officer. In 2014, he was named 3M’s chief financial officer.

Outside of work, Nick and his family enjoy sailing, supporting the arts, home renovation, traveling and hosting travelers and – of course – cheering on the Minnesota Twins.

Eric Hammes is 3M’s Executive vice president of Enterprise Operations. Enterprise Operations, consisting of manufacturing, supply chain and customer operations, plays a critical role in tailoring service and expertise to customer needs. Every day, Eric and his team are focused on optimizing the customer experience through end-to-end aligned and agile operations.

Eric joined 3M in 1997. The majority of his career has been spent as a financial leader, including as an auditor, analyst, and 3M’s corporate controller and chief accounting officer. Eric served as 3M’s senior vice president of business transformation and most recently, 3M’s senior vice president of manufacturing and supply chain. He has worked with and partnered across many of 3M’s businesses – from Health Care to Electronics and Energy – as well as multiple geographies, such as the United States, West Europe and Asia Pacific. Helping to maximize 3M’s shareholder value has always been at the core of Eric’s responsibilities as a financial leader.

“I am extremely thankful for the company and leaders I work for at 3M,” Eric says. “I feel blessed as part of this family, giving everything I have to leave 3M in a better place, every day.”

In his spare time, Eric dedicates himself to being a loving husband and father, and growing his family. He enjoys pushing himself mentally and physically in a broad range of athletics. Personal health and fitness is his passion.

Leading the strategic direction and innovation behind some of 3M’s most iconic brands is executive vice president of 3M’s Consumer Business Group, Paul Keel. Quick to credit others for inspiring a career that spans the US, Europe, and Asia, Paul says he’s been lucky to have worked for some world-class leaders over the years. “One’s career is an ever-evolving journey of twists and turns. Great mentors have navigated similar paths and can help us see around the next bend. As important, they give us the support and confidence to blaze new, previously unexplored trails.”

Paul joined 3M in 2004 as the director of business development for 3M’s Health Care Business Group. Throughout his 3M career, he has held various leadership roles, including president of 3M Unitek and 3M Critical and Chronic Care Solutions. In 2013, he became managing director of the 3M United Kingdom-Ireland region. Several years later, Paul returned to the United States to spearhead 3M’s global supply chain organization. Most recently, he oversaw 3M Business Development and Marketing-Sales, setting the strategic vision for integral functions, including M&A, strategy, design, communications, sales and marketing operations.

Before joining 3M, Paul gained experience at a variety of companies including General Mills, McKinsey, Norwest Equity Partners and General Electric.

He earned a bachelor’s degree from Carleton College and an MBA from Harvard.

Dr. Ashish Khandpur is executive vice president of 3M’s Transportation and Electronics Business Group. Ashish has been with the company close to 25 years. He leads a team that, among other things, helps to keep the world connected by improving efficiency in electronic devices and data centers, enables e-mobility, and advances transportation and its safety.

Ashish is a trained Chemical Engineer, with a bachelor’s degree from Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, and a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. He began his professional career as a senior research engineer in 3M laboratories in St. Paul. Over the years, he has held various positions of increasing responsibility in corporate research and division labs. During his assignment as the laboratory head in India, Ashish was responsible for establishing its first product development laboratory and capabilities. He then led Research & Development for the formerly Industrial Business Group – initially in Asia Pacific and later globally. Ashish has a strong technical background and has authored 10 patents.

"3M is a globally diverse company in so many dimensions," Ashish says. "People from all backgrounds and experiences work together and create new and differentiated solutions to solve our customers' and their customers' problems -- across so many industries and geographies."

In early 2014, Ashish began leading one of 3M’s biggest businesses – the Personal Safety Division – and later that same year he was named the chief technology officer (CTO) and senior vice president of research and development of 3M. As a CTO, Ashish led the global 3M team of over 8,000 scientists and engineers. He oversaw annual R&D investments of nearly $2 billion, while building 3M’s digital capabilities and bringing the company’s technology expertise even closer to customers around the world. He was assigned to lead 3M’s $5.5B Electronics & Energy Business Group in July 2017. During his leadership, this business was transformed through a thorough portfolio prioritization and diversification in fast growth segments, becoming a strong contributor to the company results. Effective April 1, 2019, Ashish was appointed to lead the newly created 3M’s Transportation and Electronics Business Group, with total revenues of approximately $10B.

Ashish sits on the Dean’s advisory board for the College of Science and Engineering at the University of Minnesota and is a trustee on the board for University of St. Thomas. He is also a board member of the 3M Foundation, with a particular focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education. Ashish lives in the Twin Cities with his wife and two daughters.

As someone who loves to learn new things, Kristen Ludgate – who leads 3M’s human resources team – has certainly had ample opportunity. In her years with the company, Kristen has served in a variety of roles across several organizations.

“I’m adaptable, I’m curious, and I love change,” Kristen says. “3M offers so many opportunities to learn and grow, so it’s been a great place for me to work. There are always new challenges, and the people here love coming together to solve them.”

Kristen began her 3M career in Legal Affairs, where she held several positions including chief employment counsel. In her next role, as vice president of Compliance & Business Conduct and chief compliance officer, Kristen led 3M’s global compliance program and chaired 3M’s executive Business Conduct Committee. She then became vice president, Global Human Resources Business Operations, leading a team of HR professionals supporting 3M business operations and strategies worldwide – focusing on talent, organizational effectiveness and change management. Before assuming her current role, Kristen led Corporate Communications and Enterprise Services and the company’s social invest arm, 3Mgives.

Across these different 3M organizations, one thing has remained constant – the spirit of her colleagues. “3Mers everywhere are amazingly dedicated, creative and purposeful,” Kristen observes. “There’s a strong drive to do the right thing and to make the world better.”

A graduate of Bowdoin College and the University of Minnesota Law School, Kristen’s career outside 3M took her from various roles in higher education to private practice as a commercial lawyer in Minneapolis.

Kristen is a frequent speaker on various workplace, legal, ethics and leadership topics. Along with her hobbies of hiking, music and reading, Kristen’s current passion is restoring a cottage that sits high on the bluffs of the Mississippi River and watching the eagles soar by. Kristen and her husband live in St. Paul and have two grown children.

Mojdeh Poul leads 3M’s Health Care Business Group, which makes better health possible by delivering proven innovations in medical and oral care, drug delivery devices, health information systems, and food safety, enabling healthcare professionals to improve quality of care for millions of people around the globe.

Mojdeh Poul’s 3M career began in 2011 when she joined the Health Care Business Group as the Global Marketing Leader for the Critical and Chronic Care Solutions Division. In the years following, she held global leadership roles in the Food Safety and Infection Prevention businesses before being named President and General Manager of 3M Canada in 2016, then executive vice president of 3M’s Safety & Graphics Business Group in 2018.

Prior to 3M, Mojdeh held several leadership roles of increasing responsibility with Medtronic and Boston Scientific. She’s led teams across different functions, businesses, and geographies, including in highly regulated industries and businesses requiring strong market development expertise.

“I’m honored to lead a talented team in an organization with such a strong ethical culture, that embraces collaboration and diversity, and truly lives its vision every day,” she says.

Mojdeh arrived in the United States in 1984 to pursue both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering at the University of Louisville. She later earned an MBA at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Mojdeh is a member of the Board of Directors for the 3Mgives Foundation and is married with two children. She enjoys traveling with her family, downhill skiing, and fitness-related activities, including attending her children’s sports games.

Denise Rutherford is Senior Vice President of 3M’s Corporate Affairs organization. This new organization brings a strategic, proactive approach to advancing and protecting the 3M brand and reputation.

Throughout her 30-year career at 3M, Denise has held various leadership roles in the company’s research and development, Lean Six Sigma and business group organizations. Over her tenure, Denise has been committed to building sustainably-competitive businesses enabled by 3M’s core values and technologies.

Denise joined 3M in 1989 as a senior research chemist at 3M’s headquarters. From 2004-2017, Denise held several international leadership roles, including president of 3M Japan, vice president of 3M Greater China Area and president of 3M China, vice president of 3M Latin America and managing director of 3M Belgium.

Prior to her international assignments, Denise served as vice president for 3M’s aerospace business, in addition to holding several technical leadership and Lean Six Sigma roles. Before being named 3M’s Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Denise served as 3M’s Industrial Business Group’s R&D and commercialization leader.

Denise is an advocate for strengthening STEM education within local communities. She is also an active supporter of 3M’s Women Leadership Forum, working to foster an environment of inclusion and advancement for women leaders at every level of the company.

Denise serves on the board of directors of STARBASE Minnesota, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating and inspiring youth in STEM. She attended Murray State University, earning a bachelor’s in chemistry and mathematics, as well as a master’s in chemistry. In 1989, Denise received her Ph.D. in chemistry from Colorado State University.

Stephen Shafer is 3M’s senior vice president of strategy and business development. In this role, he leads several functions across the company including strategy, M&A and venture investing.

Stephen previously served as vice president of 3M Greater China Area and managing director of 3M China, responsible for the leadership and management of the company’s largest overseas market, which includes mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Before moving to China, he was vice president of Business Transformation, responsible for enabling 3M to better serve its customers through a new global Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. Stephen was also a strategic marketing director of 3M’s safety and security businesses and global business director for 3M’s industrial tapes and adhesives business. Stephen joined 3M in 2010.

Prior to 3M, Stephen worked at McKinsey & Company, leading teams to provide professional advice on commercial optimization, strategy, and performance improvement for top executives of global corporations. His previous experience also includes work at Ford Motor Company deploying lean operations and revenue enhancement strategies, and service as an engineer at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Stephen is on the Board of Governors of the American Chamber of Shanghai, as well as being an active community mentor through organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters and Junior Achievement. He is a passionate global traveler and enjoys spending time with his family at their cottage in Canada. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Northwestern University and an MBA degree from Harvard Business School.

As 3M’s senior vice president of transformation, technologies and services, Ty Silberhorn and his team work to enable growth for customers through a more connected 3M. They are focused on transforming 3M’s business processes to enable the company’s business strategies, increase productivity and provide assets and resources to leaders across the organization.

With over 20 years at 3M, Ty has served as vice president and general manager for several divisions within three of 3M’s business groups including Safety & Industrial, Transportation & Electronics, and Consumer. Throughout his career, he has held sales, marketing and management positions of increasing responsibility, including Six Sigma business group director. His business leadership roles have all required significant international engagement, with the Asia Pacific region being a key focus in his last two assignments.

Ty received his MBA from the University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management in 1995 with concentrations in Marketing and Operations Management. He earned a Bachelor of Science in business from Indiana University’s Kelly School of Business in 1990. His career outside of 3M includes running his own eCommerce startup company and working at Ashland, Inc. within their petroleum refining business in various customer-facing roles.

He is an active volunteer, sits on the board of a nonprofit organization and is a member of several alumni and charitable organizations.

In addition to his community involvement, Ty enjoys spending time with his family, golfing, supporting his Indiana Hoosiers and cheering for all Detroit professional sports teams.

Mike Vale leads 3M’s Safety & Industrial Business Group, which includes personal safety, adhesives and tapes, abrasives, closure and masking systems, electrical markets, automotive aftermarket, and roofing granules.

He was most recently head of 3M’s Health Care Business Group, and prior to that led the company’s Consumer Business Group. Over the years, his career with 3M has sent him abroad four times for varied roles, including research chemist, manufacturing director and general manager.

“A decades-long career at 3M can span a diverse range of businesses, market segments and geographies,” Mike says. “I’ve been fortunate enough to see this company from many, many angles—and 3M is impressive no matter where you are in the world.”

Mike joined the company in 1992, shortly after earning a Ph.D. in chemistry from M.I.T. He was a senior research chemist in the Visual Systems Division before joining 3M Italy as a product development engineer. He returned to the Visual Systems Division before another posting in Italy as a laboratory and project manager. In 2001, Mike returned to the U.S. as one of 3M’s first Six Sigma “master black belts.” Those two years, he says, are what really grounded him in company-wide priorities.

Mike later became general manager of 3M Spain. In 2008, he returned to the U.S. to become vice president and general manager of Aearo Technologies LLC, which 3M acquired that year. After spending almost two years with Aearo integrating it into 3M, Mike became managing director of 3M Brazil in 2009. In 2011, he became executive vice president of the Consumer Business Group, and in 2016 was appointed executive vice president of the Health Care Business Group.

So what does he do when he’s not in the office? “Sleep,” Mike jokes, though he will say more seriously that he tries to focus his energies where they will do the most good. For him, that comes down to business/market analysis and team success. Mike is most proud of seeing the success of coworkers and people he has mentored during his time at the company.

Mike serves as a member of the board of directors of The Toro Company and Regions Hospital, and is a former trustee of the Science Museum of Minnesota. He can also be found running, antiquing, reading science fiction and spending time with his family.