Coatings World - June 2015

Wayne T. Smith has been appointed the new chairman and chief executive officer of BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey. He succeeds Hans Engel, who as chief financial officer for BASF SE, will relocate to the company’s global headquarters in Ludwigshafen, Germany, and assume additional responsibilities on BASF’s Board of Executive Directors.

Smith began his career at BASF in 2004 as group vice president for the Regional Intermediates Business Unit in the U.S. In 2006, he was named president of the Catalysts division and executive vice president, BASF Corporation. He became resident of the company’s Polyurethanes division in Brussels, Belgium, in 2010 and was appointed to the Board of Executive Directors of BASF SE in 2012. In addition to his role as CEO and chairman of BASF Corporation, Smith will have global responsibility for the Catalysts, Coatings and Performance Materials divisions.

PPG Announces Executive
Appointments

PPG Industries has announced executive appointments.

Vince Morales, currently vice president, investor relations, will become vice president, investor relations and treasurer. Morales will report to executive vice president and chief financial officer Frank Sklarsky. Since joining PPG in 1985, Morales has advanced through various finance leadership roles of increasing responsibility. He was appointed to his current position in 2007.

Eric Thiele, currently corporate trea-
surer, will become vice president and
business controller, global architectural
coatings and protective and marine coat-
ings. In this role, Thiele will report to
Sklarsky and PPG president and chief
operating Officer Michael McGarry. In
nearly 20 years with PPG, Thiele has
held various finance leadership roles of
increasing responsibility. He was named
corporate treasurer in 2012.
Also announced was the appointment of
Scott Minder, currently finance director and
business controller, industrial and packag-
ing coatings, to director, investor relations,
reporting to Morales. Minder joined PPG
in June 2009 and previously worked for
General Motors and Penske Logistics.
John Jankowski, assistant treasurer,
also will report to Morales. Jankowski
will continue to provide leadership to the
global treasury staff and in key areas of
the treasury function.

“These executives have demonstrated strong performance throughout their careers with PPG,” Sklarsky said. “We look forward to their continued contributions as PPG continues to drive value for our customers, employees and shareholders.”

Maroon Group Promotes Norton to Sales Manager Maroon Group has announced the promotion of Scott Norton to sales manager, Western Region based out of Chicago, IL.

According to the company, Norton has a long tenure of success with Maroon Group as an account manager building his business in the CASE and Plastics markets and has had the dual responsibility of working with Maroon’s Sales Teams in the role of Product Manager for its line of pigment dispersions. Together with Maroon’s sales team in the Western Region, he will focus on driving the growth of business.

Palmer Holland Announces
Kristin Redman as
Executive Account Manager

Kristin Redman has joined Palmer Holland as executive account manager, which entails calling on the company’s large multi-national Enterprise Accounts.

She will be based out of Powell, Ohio.

Redman brings a many years of expe-
rience to Palmer Holland. Her most re-
cent role was with Clariant Corporation
where she served as sales manager for
Clariant’s Industrial, Home Care &
Personal Care business units in North
America. Prior to that, she spent 13 years
with Ashland Distribution & Nexeo
Solutions, in a multitude of commercial
roles—with the last four years in a strate-
gic account manager role with a majority
of her focus in the CASE industry.

Emerald Kalama Chemical
Appoints Linkenhoger Sales
Manager, NA

Emerald Kalama Chemical, a business group of Emerald Performance Materials, has appointed Kaye Linkenhoger sales manager, North America, for the group’s growing line of K-FLEX low-VOC, non-phthalate plasticizers and coalescents.

In this role, Linkenhoger will augment the growing sales network for K-FLEX in the North American region, executing business development strategies, developing new customers and markets, and expanding sales in key markets such as paints, coatings, adhesives, sealants and vinyl.

Linkenhoger has 20 years of experience serving in business development and technical roles for the specialty materials industry. She joins Emerald from PSL North America, where she held the position of business development manager. Previously, she also held positions with Chemtura and Momentive.

VanDeMark Chemical
Appoints Vice President of
Global Sales

VanDeMark Chemical, Inc., Lockport, NY has announced the appointment of James E. Romano as vice president of global sales and business development. He will have supervisory responsibility for the entire sales staff of both VanDeMark and newly acquired Framochem Kft, Kazincbarcika, Hungary.