PPG Industries’ board of directors ranks first among the boards of more than 600 U.S. public companies, according to a new study of governance capacity by executive search firm JamesDruryPartners, PPG said.

The third annual "The Weight of America’s Boards" study scored PPG’s board highest for the makeup of its directors in terms of business accomplishments, leadership roles served with companies, and the relative value of their experience, PPG announced Wednesday (Nov. 20).

Photos: PPG Industries

The Pittsburgh-based paint and coatings giant was measured against hundreds of companies.

PPG said its board was one of only two to have ranked among the top 10 in all three of the annual studies published by JamesDruryPartners.

'Business Expertise and Acumen'

“PPG is proud that its board of directors has been recognized as having the highest overall governance capacity,” said Charles E. Bunch, PPG chairman and chief executive officer.

“The board’s collective business expertise and acumen plays a fundamental role in overseeing PPG’s management performance, safeguarding the long-term health of its business and representing the interests of shareholders.”

The study examines the boards of the largest U.S. public companies as measured by revenue and by market cap, PPG said.

Charles E. Bunch is CEO and chairman of the PPG Industries board.

The report was established to offer an objective view of the governance capacity of the largest U.S. corporations, based on the premise that the quality of board directors’ collective business acumen provides the primary measurable factor indicating a board’s capacity to govern well. The companies included in the study range in revenue from $4.2 billion to $486 billion, and in market cap from $5.4 billion to $536 billion.

The PPG Board

The PPG Board of Directors is comprised of the following:

• Charles E. Bunch, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, PPG Industries Inc.
• Stephen F. Angel, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Praxair Inc.
• James G. Berges, Partner, Clayton, Dubilier & Rice LLC and Retired President, Emerson Electric Co.
• John V. Faraci, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, International Paper Company
• Hugh Grant, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Monsanto Company
• Victoria F. Haynes, Retired Chief Executive Officer, RTI International
• Michele J. Hooper, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Directors’ Council
• Robert Mehrabian, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Teledyne Technologies Inc.
• Martin H. Richenhagen, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, AGCO Corp.
• Robert Ripp, Chairman of Lightpath Technologies and Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, AMP Inc.
• Thomas J. Usher, Non-executive Chairman of the Board, Marathon Petroleum Corp.
• David R. Whitwam, Retired Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Whirlpool Corp.