PITTSBURGH – PPG Industries has announced several executive appointments. Effective September 1, Michael H. McGarry, current PPG Senior Vice President, Commodity Chemicals, and Viktor R. Sekmakas, current PPG Senior Vice President, Industrial Coatings, and President, PPG Europe, will be appointed Executive Vice Presidents and join the company’s executive committee.
McGarry will assume leadership responsibility for the company’s global aerospace products and automotive refinish businesses as well as the Asia-Pacific region and global information technology function. These responsibilities are in addition to McGarry’s current role as leader of the commodity chemicals business and the environment, health and safety function. He will be based at PPG’s global headquarters in Pittsburgh and will continue to report to Chairman and CEO Charles E. Bunch.
Sekmakas will assume leadership responsibility for PPG’s global protective and marine coatings business in addition to his current oversight of the industrial and packaging coatings businesses and the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. He will continue to be based at PPG’s EMEA headquarters in Rolle, Switzerland, and will continue to report to Bunch.
In addition, Cynthia A. Niekamp, PPG Senior Vice President, Automotive OEM Coatings, will add oversight of the company’s Latin America region to her current responsibilities. She will continue to be based at the PPG automotive OEM coatings business headquarters in Troy, MI, and will continue to report to Bunch.
PPG also announced that Pierre-Marie De Leener, Executive Vice President, intends to leave the company effective October 31. He has been responsible for PPG’s global automotive refinish, aerospace products, and protective and marine coatings businesses in addition to the Latin America region. De Leener joined PPG with the acquisition of SigmaKalon in January 2008, having previously served as that company’s CEO. Prior to his current role, De Leener was responsible for PPG’s architectural coatings – EMEA business and the EMEA region.
