Experienced Leaders Join SMS Board to Support the Company's Next Phase of Growth
SMS, a leading provider of steel mill services and a portfolio company of FalconPoint Partners, today announced the appointment of Chris Dods and James "Skip" Herald to its Board of Directors. The appointments further strengthen the Board with complementary experience across steel and industrial services, and add significant depth in operational leadership, governance, and value creation in outsourced industrial services.
"I'm incredibly excited to work with Skip and Chris as we continue to invest in the SMS platform," said Jeremy Kirchin, Chief Executive Officer of SMS. "Their experience and perspective further enhance our governance and strategic oversight as we enter the next phase of growth."
Mr. Herald brings more than four decades of experience leading global steel and energy services organizations through periods of transformation and strategic expansion. Mr. Dods brings more than 30 years of leadership experience across industrial services and materials businesses, with a strong track record of driving operational excellence, safety performance, and customer-centric growth.
"SMS has built a strong reputation for operational excellence and customer service across the steel industry," said Mr. Herald. "I'm very much looking forward to applying my experience, both inside and outside the steel industry, to help support the Company's continued growth and to deepen relationships with its customers."
Most recently, Mr. Herald served as Chief Executive Officer of Evraz North America, where he oversaw a vertically integrated engineered steel products business. Prior to that, he was Chief Executive Officer of Axip Energy Services and held senior executive roles at Welspun USA and Vallourec North America. Earlier in his career, Mr. Herald spent more than 20 years at Halliburton Energy Services in a variety of senior leadership roles across operations, technology, and commercial functions.
"I've followed SMS for many years and have been impressed by what Jeremy and the team have built," said Mr. Dods. "There is strong momentum across the organization, a clear commitment to customers, and a great culture. I'm eager to be involved as the Company continues to pursue growth opportunities."
Most recently, Mr. Dods served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Strategic Materials, a leading provider of glass and plastics recycling services, where he led the company through a period of growth and strategic development prior to its acquisition by Sibelco in 2024. Previously, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Clean Earth, an environmental services platform acquired by Harsco Corporation in 2019. Earlier in his career, Mr. Dods held senior leadership roles at PSC, Aramark Uniform Services, and Omni Services, building extensive experience in scaled industrial operations, environmental compliance, and customer-centric service models.
FalconPoint Partners supported SMS in the board search and has been closely involved since the beginning of the partnership, working alongside management to build a strong leadership and governance foundation.
"Skip and Chris will be great thought-partners for Jeremy and the team," said Andrew Singer, Partner at FalconPoint Partners. "They bring deep industry and operational experience and will play an important role in supporting the management team as SMS continues to scale."
