Paul S Allen

Paul Stephen Allen (born 19 November 1951) is a British business executive, formerly President of Cognis Corporation and Executive Vice President Functional Products. Allen was born in Sheffield, England. His father Ronald Allen was a steel worker and former RAF firefighter, his mother Betty Allen a dental assistant. He has one sister, Jane Hardwick who lives in nearby Rotherham. Allen was President of Cognis USA since 2004, as well as Executive Vice President of Cognis' Strategic Business Unit: Functional Products since January 2006. Allen studied German and Spanish at the University of Bath, Freie Universität in Berlin, and the London Institute of Purchasing and Supply. Allen went on to become business manager of Diamond Shamrock Process Chemicals and was required to move to Fontainebleau, France in 1985. When Diamond Shamrock was purchased by Henkel, Allen assumed a position as head of Henkel Canada after moving to Hamilton, Ontario in 1988. In 1991 Allen moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, United States and continued to work for Henkel (later Cognis). Allen became head of Nutrition and Health in 2002 until his appointment as head of Functional Products. Allen retired from Cognis on 31 December 2010 following its acquisition by BASF.