Greg DeVincentis Honored with IOMA International Harmonization Award
November 3, 2022
CGA is pleased to congratulate Greg DeVincentis of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. as the recipient of the 2022 IOMA International Harmonization Award! This prestigious award was created by the International Oxygen Manufacturer’s Association (IOMA) Global Committee in 2005 to recognize significant and distinguished service to the international harmonization process. It is presented annually to an individual who best exemplifies the character, commitment, and technical excellence prevalent in the development of harmonized publications or legislation at the international level.
Significant Service to the Industry
Greg began his career with Air Products after receiving a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University. For over 35 years, Greg has been with Air Products working in the cryogenic industrial gases area, primarily in air separation.
Greg began his career in the Career Development Program with assignments in ASU Process Engineering, ASU Startup Engineering and the After Services Organization. He rotated off the CDP program into ASU Process Engineering where he led the process designs of numerous air separation plants worldwide.
Later, Greg joined the operations department as a Plant Process Engineer supporting many of Air Products’ North America ASUs improving process safety, plant efficiency, production capacity, and operability. He then moved back into engineering to manage the Americas ASU Process Engineering team. The team designed and engineered ASUs for the Americas and Asia while developing the Process Technology capabilities of the Asia Engineering center in Shanghai.
After gaining experience in this technical management role, Greg became the Process Technology Manager for the Americas Cryogenic Systems team where he managed the Process Engineering, Process Systems, Process Controls and Machinery Engineering disciplines. Greg is now part of the Global ASU Product Line as the Global Process Technology Manager for Large and Very Large ASUs. He has also been a core member of the Air Products Air Separation Safety Committee since 2001.
Dedicated CGA Volunteer
Greg is strong contributor to CGA and EIGA standards development efforts and plays an integral role in advancing industry safety through his support of harmonization activities. He is widely viewed as a leader and positive contributor to the harmonization process. In the words of his colleagues and CGA staff liaisons –
“It is a privilege and a pleasure to work with Greg. Greg is a consummate professional with a kind and respectful manner, a willingness to share his knowledge, a keen technical sense that grasps facets of a discussion that may need attention, and the ability to win the trust and respect of his colleagues from around the world. His participation and chairmanship on multiple harmonization projects and on the planning task force for the CGA Safety & Reliability Seminar is a positive benefit to both his company as well as member companies across the globe. He works to develop the best document to represent the compressed gas industry’s values and interests.”
Greg has represented Air Products as a voting member on the CGA Atmospheric Gases & Equipment Committee since 2015. He served as the Vice Chairman and Chairman of this Committee from 2016 – 2019. He has contributed to over 50 CGA work items, including 25 international harmonization efforts.
He is an avid supporter of the CGA Safety and Reliability of Industrial Gases, Equipment, and Facilities Seminars. Every year since 2015, he coordinated all the presentations given by Air Products and actively participated in the seminar planning task forces. With Greg’s encouragement, Air Products has had a strong showing at the seminars presenting 45 topics since 2015. He has presented at the seminar and chaired the seminar.
In 2015, Greg also joined the EIGA Working Group 3, Atmospheric Gases Process & Equipment as the voting member from Air Products. Greg’s active participation in both CGA and EIGA committees has been beneficial in harmonizing many documents/activities in the last 7 years. Greg’s participation in EIGA facilitated the transfer of information between the committees including lessons from the CGA Safety & Reliability Seminars.
Supporting Critical Harmonization Initiatives
As the industry becomes increasingly global, it is in the interest of enhanced safety, as well as improved efficiency, that industry publications are consistent wherever gases are produced, distributed, or used. It is important and beneficial for the industry to share safety practices and reduce the variability in safety standards and operating practices.
The International Harmonization Council (IHC) is one arena where CGA participates to advance the industry’s strategic goals related to harmonized standards. The IHC is made up of four gas associations: the Asia Industrial Gases Association (AIGA), the Compressed Gas Association (CGA), the European Industrial Gases Association (EIGA), and the Japan Industrial and Medical Gases Association (JIMGA). The IHC work program supports our efforts to:
- Increase industry safety, improve efficiency, and decrease liability. Through the development and publication of harmonized standards, we are able to share the industry’s best practices and learnings and implement them consistently on a global scale.
- Promote a unified industry message.
We are able to more effectively advocate for our industry by leveraging harmonized positions and presenting a consistent position to external standards bodies such as ISO and the UN. - Address gaps and differences.
The harmonization work process facilitates the identification and prioritization of work on gaps and differences in regional publications, regulations, and external standards. - More effectively use industry resources.
By working collaboratively with AIGA, EIGA, and JIMGA we eliminate duplicate efforts by regional associations to address the same topics and consolidate the expertise and resources needed to support publication development and maintenance. - Provide access to safety information.
Ensure that developing regions have access to publications developed by subject matter experts.
Dedicated committee members like Greg DeVincentis contribute substantial time and resources to supporting the global harmonization of industry standards, and we are sincerely appreciate the expertise that they share with us. Please join us in congratulating Greg for his well-deserved recognition as the IOMA International Harmonization Award winner!
IOMA International Harmonization Award Recipients
| Year | Winner | Company |
| 2022 | Gregory DeVincentis | Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. |
| 2021 | Sudhir Phakey | Linde PLC |
| 2020 | Dr. Wolfgang Dörner | The Linde Group |
| 2019 | Satoshi Hasaka | Taiyo Nippon Sanso |
| 2018 | Dr. John Somavarapu | American Air Liquide Holdings, Inc. |
| 2017 | Mark Begg | Air Products SA NV |
| 2016 | John Bernard | Praxair, Inc. |
| 2015 | David Birch | The Linde Group |
| 2014 | Ichiro Nakayama | Taiyo Nippon Sanso |
| 2013 | Alain Colson | L’Air Liquide S.A. |
| 2012 | Jerrold Sameth | Matheson |
| 2011 | Takashi Washizu | Air Water Inc. |
| 2010 | Dr. Hervé Barthélémy | L’Air Liquide S.A. |
| 2009 | Andrea Mariotti | SOL Spa |
| 2008 | William Schmidt | Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. |
| 2007 | Helmut Kahl | The Linde Group |
| 2006 | Gary Prezbindowski | American Air Liquide Holdings, Inc. |
| 2005 | Dr. Christopher Jubb | BOC Gases |
