Chris M. Killian is senior vice president and chief technology officer with responsibility for Eastman’s global technology and innovation organization. He actively champions the company purpose — to enhance the quality of life in a material way. Prior to his current position, Killian served as vice president, Additives and Functional Products, Chemical Intermediates and corporate technology.
Killian holds a Bachelor of Science degree from University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a doctorate in organic chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He joined Eastman in 1996 as a research chemist. During his career at Eastman, he has held various technology and business leadership positions, including director of polymers technology, director of the Tritan growth platform, and vice president of Advanced Materials technology.
A native of Charlotte, North Carolina, Killian and his wife Sharon reside in Johnson City, Tennessee, and have three daughters. He is an inventor on more than 40 U.S. patents, a 2015 ACS Heroes of Chemistry awardee, and a member of the American Chemical Society and the UNC at Chapel Hill Chemistry Advisory Board. In his spare time, he enjoys physical fitness, traveling and UNC athletics.