E. Thomas “Tom” Layton is a seasoned team builder and leader with a long and successful history in sales and management, and especially in the chemical industry. His early success in technical sales and marketing in the specialty chemical and pharmaceutical spaces led him to C-level positions early in his career.
Tom has served as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Lux Amber Corp, Inc. since 2015. From January 2014 until September 2015, he was the senior advisor to KT Chemicals, Inc. From 2013, he was CEO and is currently the Chairman of CBI Polymers, Inc., and for nine months in 2012 he was Acting CEO of LAXAI-OSR, a clinical research organization. From 1998 until 2014, he was also an independent consultant to a variety of companies. From 1998 until 2009, most of his consulting clients were in the chemical industry, although beginning in 2009 and continuing through 2010, 2011 and 2012, he was consulting primarily to real estate related businesses including hotels and commercial developments, assisting them with restructuring and refinancing. In the course of this work, Tom also served as a court authorized debtor-in-possession manager, shepherding real property projects through Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. From 1994 to 1998, he was CEO of Deepwater Iodide (now Deepwater Chemicals), and from 1976 to 1990 he was CEO of Bishopric, Inc., a construction engineering and manufacturing business which he grew from sales of $9 million to $122 million. Prior to that, Tom managed the worldwide chemical business of G.D. Searle, and prior to that he worked in positions of increasing responsibility at Mallinckrodt Chemical, ultimately reporting directly to the Chairman of the Board.
Tom has an A.B. degree in chemistry from Central Methodist College, has served on Boards and had leadership positions in numerous Trade Associations, Boards of Companies, both private and public, and was elected into the Young President’s Organization. In addition to his business activities, Tom has served on Boards of Colleges, Universities, Churches and charitable organizations.