Executive Bios

Thorne Bartlett
Global New Business Development Manager
Dow Wire & Cable

Thorne Bartlett is the new business development leader for Dow Wire & Cable, a global market-facing business unit of The Dow Chemical Company.

Mr. Bartlett earned a bachelor degree in chemical engineering and polymers science and a Master of Science degree in chemical engineering, both at Rutgers University. Following that, he held a number of positions in product development and engineering where he was granted two patents before moving into marketing and sales for wire and cable compounds at Union Carbide Corporation.

Mr. Bartlett has more than 15 years of wire and cable experience. Prior to his current position, he served as the product marketing executive for the Power Cable Compounds business within Dow Wire & Cable. In this role, he was responsible for global business strategy for Dow Wire & Cable’s power cable compounds product line, including coordinating research and development projects and asset management.

Mr. Bartlett is based in Houston, Texas.

Mark Burtch
North America Market Manager
Dow Wire & Cable

Mark Burtch is the North America market manager for Dow Wire & Cable, a world-leading producer of technology-driven solutions for the wire and cable industry.

In this position, Mr. Burtch leads the marketing activities in the United States and Canada for Dow Wire & Cable’s solution portfolio of jacketing, insulation, armoring and flame retardant materials.

Mr. Burtch joined The Dow Chemical Company in 1990 as a commercial development program sales representative. He held various marketing and sales positions including global product market manager for Dow Wire & Cable’s engineered laminates business, which supplies coated metal products for cables used in direct burial, duct, aerial and undersea applications under the trade name ZETABON™ Coated Armor.

Mr. Burtch earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Michigan State University.

He is based in Houston, Texas.

Benoit Fritz
Market Manager for Europe, the Middle East and Africa
Dow Wire & Cable

Benoit Fritz is the market manager for Europe, the Middle East and Africa for Dow Wire & Cable. In this position, Mr. Fritz is responsible for advancing the global delivery of Dow Wire & Cable innovative solutions that provide value and lower total system cost.

Most recently, Mr. Fritz worked with DuPont-Dow Elastomers (DDE) as the global Wire & Cable team leader for ethylene copolymers. He also has served as sales development manager for DDE ethylene copolymers in Europe. He was named to his current position in 2005.

Mr. Fritz began his career at Safic-Alcan as a technical sales representative and then as an ethylene elastomers champion in France, Spain and Portugal. He earned a Diplome de Etudes Approfondies (DEA) and a License/Maîtrise in organic and bio-organic chemistry from P&M CURIE, Paris VI University. In January 2000, he conducted DEA research in Eccole Normale Superieure, which was published in the Journal de l’Academie des Sciences.

Mr. Fritz is based in Horgen, Switzerland.

Tim Laughlin
Global Business Director
Dow Wire & Cable

Tim Laughlin is the global business director for Dow Wire & Cable. In this position, Mr. Laughlin oversees the strategic development and management of the Wire & Cable business portfolio and the incorporation of new polymers and technologies from the Plastics Business Group of The Dow Chemical Company. Mr. Laughlin was appointed to this position in 2004.

Mr. Laughlin joined The Dow Chemical Company in 1984. His first role at Dow was in Specialty Chemicals. He then moved to a global raw material purchasing role. He also held various marketing and business management positions in the Chemicals business. He moved to a regional manager role for Fabricated Products in 1995. Mr. Laughlin was named senior commercial manager for Olefin Feedstock in 1996, and was appointed to the position of global business director for Hydrocarbons & Energy in 1999, located in Horgen, Switzerland.

Mr. Laughlin is based in Houston, Texas.