Michel van Russelt

Automotive Market Development Director
Solutia Europe Sa

Michel Van Russelt obtained his Chemical Engineering degree from the University of Louvain (Belgium) in 1970 and work on a PhD Thesis int the laboratory of High Polymers on an industry-University program.

He joined Monsanto in 1974 to start up a customer service laboratory for Saflex (PVB interlayer) for Europe. He moved to a Marketing Technical Service position a few years later providing direct plant support to glass laminators in Europe. His next move was in a Marketing position promoting the use of laminated glass in the architectural market.
By 1985, he became the Marketing Technical Services Manager for Europe and later Manager Commercial Development in charge of New Products commercialisation.

In his present position as Automotive Market Development Director, Mr.Van Russelt is very much involved in the promotion of laminated glass with new functionalities in new automotive applications like side and rear glazing or glass roofs.

Michel Van Russelt is also the Chairman of the Advanced Automotive Glazing Manufacturers Association, an organisation which groups most large Automotive Glass manufacturers and interlayer suppliers in Europe.