APPLETON, Wisconsin – Appvion, Inc. announced today (June 9) the appointment of Kevin Gilligan as president of its paper division, which consists of the company's thermal, carbonless, security and specialty products businesses. Gilligan will be based at the company's headquarters in Appleton, Wisconsin. He will report to Mark Richards, chief executive officer, and will serve as a member of the company's senior leadership team.

"Kevin is a collaborative executive leader who builds high-performing teams. He comes to Appvion with extensive experience leading global organizations to achieve sales growth and operational improvements," said Richards. "Kevin's leadership experience, business knowledge and passion for teamwork will add significant depth and breadth to our leadership team."

Gilligan spent the past 20 years working for H.B Fuller Company, a publicly traded, global specialty chemical company focused on adhesives. The company is headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota, with sales of $2.1 billion in 2013.

Since 2012, Gilligan has served as vice president of global operations where he led H.B. Fuller's operations, including supply chain, sourcing, 45 manufacturing plants, customer service, engineering, and environmental, health and safety. Prior to that, he served for five years as region vice president based in Shanghai, China, and led H.B. Fuller's Asia Pacific region businesses. Gilligan also worked as general manager, H.B. Fuller Window; North American operations director; e-business director; product line manager; and plant manager.