ST. PAUL, MN -- H.B. Fuller Co. has announced that Thomas W. Handley was elected as an independent member to its Board of Directors, effective immediately. Handley's position expands the board to eight directors, seven of whom are independent.

Handley is currently President of Ecolab's global food and beverage division. "Tom brings exceptional leadership and operations experience to H.B. Fuller, and we are excited to have him serve as a board member," said Michele Volpi, H.B. Fuller President and Chief Executive Officer. "Tom's background with growing product lines both at Ecolab and Procter & Gamble, particularly overseas, will be a tremendous support to our recent investments in the Asia-Pacific and EIMEA markets. With much of his career leading businesses abroad, Tom is well versed in the global company mindset. H.B. Fuller is committed to being a global company and a collaborative partner for our customers, and Tom will help position us to do so."

Handley heads Ecolab's $1.4 billion global food and beverage division, which sells to many of the largest companies in the world. Handley has more than 25 years of profit and loss (P&L) leadership experience in global business environments, including businesses in Asia and Latin America. Handley joined Ecolab in 2003, and he has since progressed through numerous roles and demonstrated improved results in several troubled business situations while also leading major new strategic thrusts. Previously, Handley served as Vice President and General Manager for Procter & Gamble's paper products business in Japan and Korea. During his tenure, Pampers diapers' market share doubled in Japan. Also at Procter & Gamble, he led global marketing and strategic planning for the company's multi-billion dollar feminine care business.