SARASOTA COUNTY - Intertape Polymer Group Inc. has tapped a veteran finance executive to be its new chief financial officer.<br /><br />Jeffrey Crystal, who has over 17 years experience in financial, human resources and information technology positions, will join the company on Monday and assume CFO duties on May 9, Intertape announced Friday.<br /><br />Crystal, who graduated from Concordia University in Montreal and is a certified public accountant, most recently was CFO of a manufacturing company with sales of roughly $1.5 billion annually and more than 2,000 employees.<br /><br />“Jeffrey is an experienced CFO who has been involved in various functions and projects that have provided him with a comprehensive view of operations,” Greg Yull, Intertape’s president and CEO, said in a statement.<br /><br />“We believe the company will benefit from his experience as we execute our large scale South Carolina project and pursue our growth strategy.”<br /><br />Crystal’s hiring comes three months after Intertape Polymer terminated its former CFO, Bernard J. Pitz. Pitz, whose departure was not explained, had been Intertape’s CFO since late 2009.<br /><br />Crystal takes over directly from Michael Jay, Intertape’s corporate controller, who had been working as interim CFO.<br /><br />Intertape, which is co-headquartered in Montreal and Sarasota County, employs roughly 1,800 and operates 10 manufacturing plants throughout North America and one in Europe.<br /><br />In summer 2013, Intertape moved its 115-employee U.S. corporate headquarters from Bradenton to Sarasota County, leasing the third floor of the Osprey Commerce Center off Fruitville Road.