David Rousse has been appointed the new president of INDA, the U.S.-based Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry. Effective October 15, Rousse will take over the position currently held by Rory Holmes, who will retire in the middle of next year. Holmes has led INDA since October 2003.

Rousse most recently served as CEO of HydroLogex, a U.S.-based virtual manufacturer of proprietary decentralized wastewater treatment systems in the cleantech sector. Prior to that he held leadership positions in Fiberweb, then a $1 billion global manufacturer of speciality nonwoven fabrics. He entered Fiberweb in 2005 as president of hygiene and medical in the Americas, before being promoted in 2007 to president of Fiberweb Americas.

“With Rory Holmes planning to retire in the middle of next year, the board felt it was important to begin the transition by bringing in an executive of Dave Rousse’s caliber as early as possible,” said INDA board chairman Todd Bassett. “With IDEA 2013 being held in Miami Beach next April, it is important to our members and the industry that the new leadership of INDA be in place for our signature event. We are pleased to be able to have Rory Holmes available to help with the transition.”

“I am both excited and honored to lead a wonderful association like INDA,” said Rousse. “Having been actively involved with INDA throughout a large part of my career, I have experienced first-hand the benefits they bring to their members and the industry. Rory has done an exemplary job over the last nine years in building the INDA team and the organization and he’s leaving me in good hands. As I move into the role, he will be indispensable in ensuring a smooth transition.”

When he joined Fiberweb in 2005, Rousse was given the responsibility to reverse the declining performance of the $400 million North American hygiene and medical business and led a major restructuring initiative. He was promoted in April 2007 to president of the Americas and given additional responsibilities for the $300 million Americas industrial business, where he led the efforts that tripled Fiberweb Americas’ operating profit from $6.4 million in 2007 to $19.2 million in 2008.

Prior to his tenure at Fiberweb, Rousse was vice president at Monadnock Paper Mills, a manufacturer of nonwovens and speciality papers. He was also vice president and general manager at FiberMark Inc., another speciality paper/nonwovens producer. Previously he held a series of marketing and sales leadership positions at International Paper.