Donald R. Young has been President, Chief Executive Officer and a member of the board of directors since November 2001. Prior to joining Aspen Aerogels, Mr. Young served as Chief Executive Officer of HighWired, a leading venture capital backed software and e-learning company. Prior to that, Mr. Young worked in the United States and abroad in a broad range of senior operating roles for Cabot Corporation, a leading global specialty chemical company. Prior to Cabot Corporation, Mr. Young worked in the investment business at Fidelity Management & Research. Mr. Young holds a BA from Harvard College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.