Mr. Mitchell is responsible for consumer markets, including the Valvoline division's worldwide business of automotive lubricants, chemicals, and appearance products, as well as the division's growth in the quick-lube business. He also oversees the continued development of innovative premium products. A Birmingham, Mich., native, Mitchell earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Miami University at Oxford, Ohio, in 1983 and a master's degree in business administration from the University of Chicago in 1988. He is a 2005 graduate of the Harvard Business School's Advance Management Program. Prior to joining Ashland, he held brand and category management leadership positions at The Clorox Company for eight years.