India-born John Panikar is the new President of Praxair Asia

Praxair Inc, one of the leading industrial gases companies in the world, has promoted John Panikar to President of Praxair Asia, responsible for managing Praxair’s industrial gases business in Asia as well as the Middle East, reporting to Steve Angel, Chairman and CEO, Praxair. Panikar is currently President of Praxair Distribution Inc, responsible for managing Praxair’s US packaged gases business.
 
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Panikar joined Praxair in 1991 and held a variety of assignments in operations and project management in Praxair’s electronics business before being appointed Asia business manager for electronics in 1999. He was named Director of business development for Praxair Asia in 2002, with additional responsibility for managing the helium, specialty gases, medical gases and carbon dioxide growth markets for Praxair India. He became Managing Director of Praxair India in 2004. In 2008, he was named Vice President, product management and analysis, for Praxair’s North American Industrial Gases business unit and was appointed Vice President of the US South Region in 2009.
 
A native of Mumbai, India, Panikar holds a degree in chemical engineering from the University of Rochester. He completed the Advanced Management program at Harvard Business School in 2010.