BETHANY, CT  LATICRETE, a family owned, global leader in the manufacturing of premium installation and finishing systems for the building industry, has named Eerik Maandi, PhD, Vice President of Research and Development in North America.

"We are excited with the addition of Dr. Maandi as the leader of our R&D activities in North America," said LATICRETE President Ed Metcalf. "Eerik's successful background in product development and innovation has been informed by acute attention to customer feedback and keen awareness of the competitive environment. We look forward to his contributions at LATICRETE and to his direct involvement with our distributor and end user clients."

Before joining LATICRETE, Maandi held several positions at Henkel Corporation, most recently serving as the company's Director of Innovation and Technology. Before his tenure with Henkel, held the position of Senior Development Chemist at the Loctite Corporation.

Maandi received his doctorate degree in polymer science from the University of Connecticut, his master's degree in organic chemistry from Saint Joseph's College and his undergraduate degree in chemistry from George Mason University. He has 11 patents and is enrolled in the Innovation and Entrepreneurship program at Stanford University.

Currently, Maandi resides in Rocky Hill, Connecticut.