Coatings World - July 2014

AkzoNobel has appointed Maëlys Castella as the company’s new chief financial officer. She will officially take up the position on September 15.

Castella succeeds Keith Nichols, who announced his intention to leave AkzoNobel on January 15, 2014. She has worked at Air Liquide for the last

14 years, most recently as
group deputy CFO. Her
previous posts there include Europe chief
financial officer and corporate finance and
treasury director.
Castella joined Air Liquide as group
financing manager in 2000. She previ-
ously worked for ELF Oil & Gas Group,
where her positions included Financing
and Capital Markets manager. She
will be nominated for appointment to
AkzoNobel’s Board of Management and
will be based at the company’s head of-
fice in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Ton
Büchner will take over CFO responsibili-
ties in the brief transition period between
Keith Nichols’ departure and Maëlys
Castella’s commencement date.
AkzoNobel’s protective coatings busi-
ness have appointed Scott Doering and
Fernando Macedo as Vice Presidents over-
seeing the International
and Devoe protective
coatings brands with-
in the North America
East and West regions.

The appointments follow AkzoNobel’s recent global re-structuring intended to better align senior management under a customer-cen-tric business model. Doering will lead the North America Eastern Region, and Macedo will lead the West Coast and Latin American Region.

Both are responsible for
setting the growth strategies for each of
their respective regions in North America
and all customer market segments within
oil and gas, water and wastewater, chemi-
cal processing, power, mining and high
value infrastructure.

Working closely with their regional managers, Doering and Macedo will ensure a superior standard of customer and technical service, while identifying new market opportunities, technology growth, and expansion of the brand’s network of International Protective Coatings Centers (IPCC). Doering is a coatings industry veteran of more than 30 years and a NACE Certified Coating Inspector #4134. He joined AkzoNobel in 2005 and has served as Protective Coatings regional manager central region, vice president Marine East Coast North America and vice president Protective Coatings Business Development North America, until his recent appointment. Doering will serve all areas east of the Rocky Mountains. Macedo has served the coatings industry for 28 years. He joined AkzoNobel in 1991 as Marine sales manager for Mexico. He was soon promoted to general manager Mexico, regional manager over Panama, Venezuela and Mexico, regional manager Mexico and Latin America, vice president Protective Coatings U.S. Gulf and Mexico, South America general manager and South America regional director, until his present appointment. Macedo will serve the U.S. West Coast including Alaska and Hawaii, as well as Mexico and Latin America (Venezuela, Brazil, Ecuador and Caribbean).

Axalta Coating Systems
Appoints VP, Strategy and
Business Development

Rajeev Rao has joined Axalta Coating
Systems as vice president, strategy and
business development. In this new po-
sition at the company, Rao will report
to Charlie Shaver, Axalta chairman
and CEO, and support
the implementation of
Axalta’s strategic plan to
chart dynamic organic
growth opportunities
and potential merger and
acquisition initiatives
across the company’s en-
tire global business portfolio.

Rao brings extensive industry and consulting background in the chemical sector. Before joining Axalta, he worked at Halliburton Company since 2012 where he was senior director, strategy and marketing for its Drilling and Evaluation Division. Prior to that role, Rao spent six years with McKinsey & Company which he joined in 2006 and where he most recently was a leader in its North America Chemicals Practice. He started his career in 2000 working at AkzoNobel, where he held a number of research and development positions.

Axalta Coating Systems has also announced that Robert M. McLaughlin has joined its Board of Directors and will serve as the Chair of the Audit Committee. McLaughlin brings extensive expertise in finance and accounting to the Board with particular experience in industrial companies. McLaughlin is senior vice president and chief financial officer of Airgas, Inc. and a member of its Management Committee.

BASF Appoints New Head
of Construction Chemicals
Division

Ralf A. Spettmann, currently senior vice president, Pigments and Resins Europe, Ludwigshafen, will become president of the Construction Chemicals operating division headquartered in Ludwigshafen. Spettmann succeeds Tilman Krauch, who will take up a new position at another company. CW