Speaker profile
Chris Howick
After completing his PhD in 1989, Chris joined ICI where he worked under David Cadogan on the development of novel plasticisers for PVC. He then joined the European Vinyls Corporation, where he worked under Mike Hitch on the development of E-PVC resins for “low liquids” formulations in flooring and wallcovering and “low fog/low emission” resins for automotive applications. This included ensuring food contact compliance and this responsibility was extended across the whole EVC range in 1996.
With the advent of the REACH regulation and changes brought about by INEOS’ acquisition of EVC in 2001, Chris moved into a full-time compliance role and managed the REACH registration of the INEOS Chlorvinyls range in 2010. He then took on the role of head of product compliance for INOVYN when it was formed in 2015. Since then he is head of a team responsible for over 100 REACH dossiers, including ten lead registrant roles, and ensuring that the products meet regulatory requirements under a variety of regulations including the EU Biocidal Products Regulation, Ozone Depleting Substances regulations, the Prior Informed Consent regulation and a variety of global initiatives such as the Stockholm and Rotterdam conventions. He also recently and chaired the Plastics Europe team covering future polymer registration under the EU REACH regulation.
Chris is a chartered chemist and fellow of the UK Royal Society of Chemistry and a fellow of the UK Institute of Metallurgy, Materials and Mining (IOM3). He has published several reviews on regulatory affairs in various journals and recently authored a review of plasticisers in the Kirk-Othmer Encyclopaedia of Chemical Technology.