People on the Move
PPG makes executive assignments
PPG Industries has made a number of
executive assignments. Rich Alexander,
senior vice president, performance coatings, has been elected executive vice
president and joins PPG’s executive
committee. Alexander joined PPG in
1978 as a sales representative based in
Detroit and subsequently held several
branch sales and marketing positions.
Alexander was elected vice president,
industrial coatings, in 2002, and to his
current position in 2005.
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. De Leener joined PPG with
the acquisition of SigmaKalon Group in
January 2008, and was appointed to his
current roles that same year.
Cynthia A. Niekamp, vice president,
automotive coatings, has been elected
senior vice president and will join PPG’s
Operating Committee. Niekamp joined
PPG in her current role in January
2009. She started her career with
General Motors, where she progressed
through several production supervisory
and engineering positions with the
Delco Moraine division.
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.
Sekmakas joined PPG in 1997 with the
acquisition of Lilly Industries’ electro-
coat business and became market
development manager, powder coatings.
He was named president, PPG
Asia/Pacific, in 2008, and he additional-
ly assumed responsibility for PPG’s
global industrial coatings business in
early 2010.
HARDIDE COATINGS HIRES
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
Hardide Coatings has appointed Robin
Gillham business development manager for its global valve, pump and automotive business. Gillham joins ex-Praxair UK sales manager Nick King in
Hardide’s business development team.
King will be responsible for growing the
company’s oil and gas, and aerospace
sales. Gillham brings 19 years of engineering and technical sales experience.
He spent almost ten years as a design
engineer with Rover and Land Rover
before moving into technical sales with
Tomita UK Ltd. to supply and support
Japanese machine components. He
returns to Hardide having previously
worked for the company between 2004
and 2008 as sales manager.
AIR PRODUCTS APPOINTS CORPORATE
SUSTAINABILITY MANAGER
Air Products has appointed Julie
O’Brien corporate sustainability manager. In this new role, O’Brien is
responsible for developing and managing the company’s sustainability initiatives, practices and reporting
worldwide. She will work with senior
business and functional managers and
Air Products’ Sustainability Council to
drive achievements against the company’s sustainability growth strategy
and improvement targets.
PPG AEROSPACE NAMES GLOBAL
PLATFORM DIRECTOR FOR COATINGS
PPG Industries’ aerospace business has
appointed Brian Roberson global plat-
form director for coatings. Roberson
joined PPG Aerospace in 1999 as
Southwest region sales and market
development representative, based at
the Dallas Application Support Center.
He held marketing and sales positions
with increasing responsibility for PPG
Aerospace until 2005, when he became
Mountain West regional sales manager
for PPG’s automotive refinish business,
based in Denver. He moved to Toronto
in 2007 as director in Canada for the
automotive refinish business, and he
subsequently returned to PPG
Aerospace and assumed his current
position.
FERRO CORPORATION NAMES
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Ferro Corporation has appointed
Thomas R. Miklich vice president and
chief financial officer. Miklich has
more than 30 years of diverse financial experience and has served as chief
financial officer for both public and
private companies, including OM
Group, Inc., a specialty chemicals company; Van Dorn Company, a manufacturer of containers for the food, chemical, paint, household, automotive
products and petroleum industries;
and The Sherwin Williams Company,
a manufacturer and distributor of
paint, coatings and related products.
E. T. HORN HIRES NEW
ACCOUNT MANAGER
The E. T. Horn Company, a national distributor, supplier, marketer and manufacturer of specialty chemicals and
ingredients has hired Eva O'Keefe as
strategic account manager. She will be
assigned to broaden and oversee key
accounts within the company’s coatings
and building materials group, which
concentrates within the paint and coatings, building materials, non-structural
adhesives, inks/graphic arts, and
ceramics markets. CW
