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PPG Revamps Global Coatings Leadership

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

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PPG Industries, the world’s No. 2 paint and coatings company, has announced new global leadership for its protective and marine, industrial, aerospace and architectural coatings businesses.

Effective Sept. 1:

Pierre-Marie De Leener, PPG executive vice president, will lead PPG’s global protective and marine coatings, aerospace and automotive refinish businesses. De Leener also will assume executive leadership responsibility for the Latin America region. He will retain responsibility for PPG’s global information technology function.

Pierre-Marie De Leener

De Leener will relocate to Pittsburgh from PPG’s Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) headquarters in Rolle, Switzerland. He will continue to be a member of PPG’s executive and operating committees and will continue to report to Chairman and CEO Charles E. Bunch.

Viktoras R. Sekmakas, PPG senior vice president for industrial coatings and president of PPG Asia/Pacific, will become senior vice president for industrial coatings and president of PPG Europe. Sekmakas will assume leadership responsibility for the EMEA region in addition to leading the global industrial coatings and packaging coatings businesses.

Viktoras R. Sekmakas

Sekmakas will relocate from PPG’s Asia/Pacific headquarters in Hong Kong to Rolle, Switzerland. Sekmakas will continue to be a member of PPG’s operating committee and will continue to report to Bunch.

J. Rich Alexander, PPG executive vice president, will lead all of PPG’s architectural coatings businesses. In this role, he will direct the integration of PPG’s current architectural coatings businesses in EMEA, the Americas and Asia/Pacific  “to fully leverage strategic and operational synergies for these businesses,” PPG said in a statement.

J. Rich Alexander

Alexander will also assume executive leadership responsibility for the Asia/Pacific region and will retain responsibility for PPG’s fiber glass and flat glass businesses, purchasing and distribution, and corporate marketing. Based in Pittsburgh, Alexander will continue to be a member of PPG’s executive and operating committees and will continue to report to Bunch.

Michael Horton, vice president of Asia/Pacific coatings, and general manager of automotive refinish and architectural coatings in Asia/Pacific, will be named president of PPG Asia/Pacific, and vice president of automotive refinish and architectural coatings, Asia/Pacific. Horton will remain based in Shanghai and will report to Alexander.

Michael Horton

Founded in 1883, PPG has global headquarters in Pittsburgh and operates in more than 60 countries. Sales in 2010 were $13.4 billion.