(Archived) Praxair Names Hirsch VP & Controller; Hoyt Appointed Director Investor Relations

Danbury, Conn., December 15, 2010 — Praxair Inc. (NYSE: PX) has named Elizabeth T. Hirsch vice president and controller of the corporation, effective immediately.

Hirsch, formerly vice president, Investor Relations, will be succeeded by Kelcey E. Hoyt as director of Investor Relations. Hoyt has served as controller of the eastern division of Praxair’s North American Industrial Gases (NAIG) business unit for the last year.

In her new position, Hirsch succeeds Mark J. Murphy who is leaving the company to become chief financial officer at MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc. (NYSE: WFR), a manufacturer of wafers for the semiconductor and solar industries, and developer of solar power plants.

“With her strong financial background and extensive knowledge of Praxair’s global businesses, Liz will continue to make a major contribution to Praxair’s financial strength and growth,” said Praxair’s chief financial officer, James Sawyer.

Hirsch joined Praxair in 1995 as director of corporate finance and then as assistant treasurer. She was appointed director of Investor Relations in 2002 and became vice president of Investor Relations in October this year. She previously had 15 years of corporate banking experience, primarily at Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company where she held a number of positions in corporate finance and relationship management. She earned a bachelor of arts degree in economics from Smith College and a master’s degree in business administration in finance from New York University.

Hoyt joined Praxair in 2002 and held a variety of management positions in corporate accounting before being appointed finance director for NAIG’s onsite and helium organizations in 2008. She was appointed controller for the eastern division in 2009. Before joining Praxair, she was an audit manager for KPMG and a communications manager at Xerox. Hoyt is a certified public accountant and holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Pace University, New York.

Praxair is the largest industrial gases company in North and South America, and one of the largest worldwide, with 2009 sales of $9 billion. The company produces, sells and distributes atmospheric, process and specialty gases, and high-performance surface coatings. Praxair products, services and technologies bring productivity and environmental benefits to a wide variety of industries, including aerospace, chemicals, food and beverage, electronics, energy, healthcare, manufacturing, metals and others. More information on Praxair is available on the Internet at www.praxair.com.