TROY, MI – PPG Industries announced that Cynthia A. Niekamp, Senior Vice President of Automotive Coatings, has been named by Automotive News magazine among the 100 leading women in the North American auto industry.

“Cindy joined PPG just last year, but she has already led our automotive coatings business through the industry’s most challenging period in decades,” said PPG Chairman and CEO Charles E. Bunch. “She has brought leadership, clarity and focus to our company’s global approach to marketing, manufacturing and technical development, and we are very proud that she’s being recognized by the automotive industry.”

Overseeing more than 4,000 PPG employees, Niekamp managed the implementation of broad restructuring efforts to align costs with market demand, and she helped to position the company’s automotive coatings business to capitalize on growth in global markets. A leader in the community as well, she serves as a trustee on the board of Kettering University in Flint, MI, and is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) International.

The list recognizes 100 women who are leaders in the automotive field – those who make major decisions and have significant influence at their companies. Award recipients were selected from among several hundred nominations by a committee comprising Automotive News staff and other industry figures.