Air Products (NYSE: APD) today announced that Sean Major is appointed executive vice president and general counsel (GC), effective May 1, 2017. Major comes to Air Products with 28 years of international legal management, commercial and transactional, and compliance and regulatory experience.

Major will be appointed as an executive officer of the company. He will report to Chairman, President and CEO Seifi Ghasemi and will assume the Company's GC responsibilities from Mary Afflerbach, vice president, corporate secretary and chief governance officer, who has been serving as the Company's GC on an interim basis. Major will be based in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Commenting on the appointment, Ghasemi said, "Sean is a superb addition to Air Products' executive leadership team, bringing deep expertise leading a full range of legal aspects. In addition, Sean's business savvy and international transactional experience in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and the Middle East will be great assets to Air Products as we continue to pursue our opportunities around the world."

Major joins Air Products from Joy Global, where he served as executive vice president, general counsel and secretary since 2007. Prior to Joy Global, Major served for nine years in roles of increasing legal responsibility with Johnson Controls, Inc., including as general counsel—Asia, and as vice president and general counsel—International. He began his in-house career with Abbott Laboratories as counsel—International after working for seven years in private practice with law firms in Chicago and Tokyo.

Major holds a B.A. in Economics from DePauw University, a J.D. from Indiana University School of Law, and an M.B.A. from Northwestern University's Kellogg Graduate School of Management.

About Air Products 

Air Products (NYSE:APD) is a world-leading Industrial Gases company in operation for over 75 years. The Company's core industrial gases business provides atmospheric and process gases and related equipment to manufacturing markets, including refining and petrochemical, metals, electronics, and food and beverage. Air Products is also the world's leading supplier of liquefied natural gas process technology and equipment.

The Company had fiscal 2016 sales of $7.5 billion from continuing operations in 50 countries and has a current market capitalization of approximately $30 billion. Approximately 16,000 employees are making Air Products the world's safest and best performing industrial gases company, providing sustainable offerings and excellent service to all customers. For more information, visit www.airproducts.com.