VALLEY VIEW, Ohio— Nanofilm, a Valley View-based producer of specialty optical coatings, cleaners and nano-composite products, has named Krish Rao as president. He succeeds Scott Rickert, company founder, who retains his role as chief executive officer.

Rao has served as Nanofilm’s vice president of technology since joining the company in 2006. “Krish Rao has a track record of product development success at Nanofilm,” said Rickert. “His ability to blend research and development expertise with an understanding of the realities of commercialization makes him ideal for a leadership position for a future of growth.”

Rao brings over 30 years’ experience in new product development and commercialization in fibers, plastics and film industries, for diverse end use market such as aerospace, automotive, power tools and construction. His previous experience encompasses rebuilding organizations for customer focus and speed and managing diverse functions such as R&D, manufacturing, quality control, technical service and materials management groups. The holder of four patents and author of a variety of technical publications, Rao holds a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, master's degrees in both chemical engineering and engineering administration, and a doctorate in materials science and engineering from the University of Utah.