FEDERAL WAY, Wash., Sept. 8 -- Weyerhaeuser Company today announced the appointment of Miles P. Drake as senior vice president, research and development and chief technology officer effective Oct. 9. In his new role, Drake oversees a research department of 430 employees devoted to growing the core businesses, supporting Weyerhaeuser's customers and creating new technical based options for growth for the corporation. Drake will report to Richard E. Hanson, executive vice president and chief operating officer, and will be a member of the company's senior management team and operating committee. Drake comes to Weyerhaeuser from Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE: APD - News) where he had served as vice president, research and development and chief technology officer, since 2001. In that role, Drake managed a global research and development budget of $150 million with facilities in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Korea, Japan and China. Drake joined APCI in 1986 as a European technology manager based in London and held numerous other leadership positions before assuming his current role. He served as chairman of the Industrial Research Institute, an organization of 200 global companies focused on enhancing the effectiveness of technological innovation, in 2004-2005. Drake currently serves as a board member of the Da Vinci Discovery Center and is the author of numerous research papers. Drake holds a Ph.D. from Bristol University School of Surface Chemistry and a BA Natural Science from Cambridge University UK.