New executive VP named at OKC’s LSB Industries

Former Koch Industries executive John Burns has been named Executive Vice President-Manufacturing at Oklahoma City’s LSB Industries, Inc.

The appointment will be effective Feb. 3,2020 as Burns takes over for John Diesch who is retiring after holding the role since August 2016 and spending more than 30 years in the industry.

“We would like to thank John Diesch for his major contributions to the Company during his more than three years as our head of manufacturing,” commented Mark Behrman, LSB’s President and CEO. “John’s tenure with our Company included the oversight of several critical plant reliability initiatives that have translated into the improved performance of our facilities. He has had a very successful career in the chemical industry, and we wish him all the best in his retirement.”

Mr. Behrman continued, “We are very pleased that John Burns will be joining our senior leadership team. His extensive experience in driving operational excellence within process industries and his deep knowledge of nitrogen manufacturing plants make him highly qualified to continue the performance improvement we have achieved over the past few years.”

Since 1993, John has held key roles at various subsidiaries of Koch Industries, an industrial conglomerate involved in the manufacturing, distribution, and refining of chemicals, petroleum, energy, fertilizers, polymers, and a host of other industrial products.

From 2007 to 2015, John worked in Koch Agriculture and Energy Solutions where, from 2007 to 2014, he was Vice President of North America Nitrogen Operations which included oversight of Koch’s five nitrogen chemical manufacturing sites. From 2014 to 2015, John held the role of Vice President of Koch’s Enid, OK Modernization where he successfully advanced the largest manufacturing site expansion project in Koch’s history.