COMPANY > Executive Officers

Executive Officers

Pieter J. Barnard

President, Graphite Electrodes and Vice President, GrafTech International Ltd.

In April, 2005, Mr. Barnard became President, Graphite Electrodes. From April 2003 to March, 2005, Mr. Barnard served as President, Advanced Carbon Materials. From March, 2000 to March 2003, he was the Executive Vice President, Global Electrode Supply Chain. Mr. Barnard joined the company in 1972, serving in various positions in the graphite electrode business, including assignments as the General Manager, Graphite Electrode Business, Europe, Russia and South Africa as well as the Vice President of Electrodes for the Americas.


Hermanus L. Pretorius

President, Advanced Graphite and Carbon

Before becoming President, Advanced Graphite and Carbon in December 2006, Mr. Pretorius was General Manager, Cathodes from September 2005. He served as Director Worldwide Operations and Engineering, Graphite Electrodes, from January 2003 to September 2005. From August 2001 to January 2003, he held various operations and supply chain positions for Europe, Asia and Africa. He began his career with us in Meyerton, South Africa in August 1977 before transferring to UCAR S.A. in Switzerland in March 1998. He is a graduate of University of Potchefstroom – South Africa with a B.S. Sciences degree and an MBA.


Craig S. Shular

President & Chief Executive Officer

Mr. Shular was elected Chairman of the Board in February 2007. In January 2003, Mr. Shular became Chief Executive Officer and a Director in 2003 and has served as President since May 2002. From May 2002 through December 2002, Mr. Shular also served as Chief Operating Officer. From August 2001 to December 2002, Mr. Shular served as Executive Vice President of our former Graphite Power Systems Division. Mr. Shular served as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer from January 1999, with the additional duties of Executive Vice President, Electrode Sales and Marketing, from February 2000. From 1976 through 1998, Mr. Shular held various financial, production and business management positions at GrafTech from 1976 to 1979.


Mark Widmar

Chief Financial Officer

Prior to joining the company on May 8, 2006, Mr. Widmar served as Corporate Controller of NCR Inc., a $6 billion Company, from 2005 to April 2006. Prior to his appointment to Controller, he was a Business Unit Chief Financial Officer for NCR, with responsibility for setting the financial vision and strategy for a $2 billion global enterprise. In this position Mr. Widmar performed an instrumental role in the establishment of strategic plans, annual operating plans and pricing strategy. Mr. Widmar was employed by Dell, Inc., as a Division Controller for the three years prior to joining NCR. Mr. Widmar also held various financial and managerial positions with Lucent Technologies Inc., AlliedSignal, Inc. and Bristol Myers/Squibb, Inc. He began his career in 1987 as an accountant with Ernst & Young. Mr. Widmar received a Bachelor of Science from Indiana University in 1987 and a Masters of Business Administration from Indiana University in 1992. He has been a certified public accountant in the State of Indiana since 1991.