Albemarle Corporation, a global developer, manufacturer, and marketer of highly-engineered specialty chemicals, has announced the retirement of executive chairman, Mark Rohr, from the board of directors and has elected Jim Nokes as non-executive chairman of the board. Both moves are effective Feb. 1, 2012.

Nokes, who joined the Albemarle board as a director in 2009, previously served as executive vice president of worldwide refining, marketing, supply and transportation of energy company, ConocoPhillips, until April 2006. With over three decades of expertise in the global refining industry, Nokes also serves as a director of Tesoro Corporation, an independent refiner and marketer of petroleum products.

In other news, the company elected Albemarle's President and Chief Executive Officer, Luther Kissam, to the board, effective Nov. 2, 2011. Kissam has served as president since March 2010 and as CEO since Sept. 1, 2011. Previously, he served as executive vice president of manufacturing and law, and secretary, having joined Albemarlein September 2003 as vice president, general counsel, and secretary.