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PPG Announces 4 Executive Reassignments

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

PPG Industries has announced four new executive assignments, including new appointments to its Executive and Operating Committees.

These changes will be effective Aug. 1.

• J. Rich Alexander, senior vice president, performance coatings, has been elected executive vice president and joins PPG's Executive Committee.
  
  
• Pierre-Marie De Leener, senior vice president, architectural coatings EMEA, and president, PPG Europe, has been elected executive vice president and also will join PPG's Executive Committee. In addition, De Leener will assume management responsibility for the company's information technology function. Werner Baer, vice president, information technology, will report to De Leener.
  
  
• Cynthia A. Niekamp, vice president, automotive coatings, has been elected senior vice president and will join PPG's Operating Committee.
  
  
• Viktor R. Sekmakas, vice president, coatings, and president, PPG Asia/Pacific, has been elected senior vice president and will also join PPG's Operating Committee. In addition, Sekmakas will assume responsibility for PPG's packaging coatings business. Douglas Pegg, vice president, packaging coatings, will report to Sekmakas.

J. Rich Alexander

Alexander has held a number of positions since joining PPG in 1978. He was appointed global general manager, general industrial coatings, in 2000; in 2002, he was elected vice president, industrial coatings. He has held his current position since 2005.

Pierre-Marie De Leener

De Leener joined PPG with the acquisition of SigmaKalon Group in January 2008 and was appointed to his current roles that same year.. He had been CEO of SigmaKalon since 1999.  Prior to that, he had held a variety of positions with PetroFina, the Belgian oil company.

Cynthia A. Niekamp

Niekamp joined PPG in her current role in January 2009 after a variety of positions with General Motors, TRW Automotive Inc., Mead Corp., MeadWestvaco and BorgWarner Inc.

Viktor R. Sekmakas

Sekmakas joined PPG in 1997 with the acquisition of Lilly Industries' electrocoat business and became market development manager, powder coatings. He held a variety of positions with PPG Asia/Pacific, eventually being named president in 2008. Earlier this year, he assumed responsibility for PPG's global industrial coatings business.