Mugshot of Patrick Zheng

Patrick Zheng Yu Zhao

The following industry professionals have recently received appointments or promotions.

BASF’s Coatings Division Appoints Leadership for Global Business Units

Effective August 1, the coatings division of BASF will implement global units for its Automotive OEM Coatings Solutions. Automotive Refinish Coatings Solutions, and Global Surface Treatment business units and has appointed leadership for each of those units.

Patrick Zheng Yu Zhao will take charge of the new Global Automotive OEM Coatings Solutions business unit, based in Hong Kong. Prior to this role, he was senior vice president at Coatings Solutions Asia Pacific.

Chris Titmarsh will assume responsibility for the new Global Automotive Refinish Coatings Solutions business unit, located in Münster, Germany. Most recently, he was senior vice president at Automotive Refinish Coatings Solutions EMEA, based in Germany.

Mugshot of Chris Titmarsh

Chris Titmarsh

Frank Naber will assume responsibility for the Global Surface Treatment business unit, which operates under the Chemetall brand, in Frankfurt, Germany. In this position, he succeeds Christophe Cazabeau, who will prepare for a new assignment. Prior to this role, Naber was senior vice president at Automotive OEM Coatings Solutions EMEA.

Palmer Holland Restructures Executive Team

Palmer Holland has announced a restructuring of its executive team.

Palmer Holland has appointed Ron Zmich as Senior Vice President of Industrial Specialties, Bret Horace as Vice President of Consumer and Life Sciences, Jaycie Bradshaw as Chief Human Resources Officer, and Kristin Engler as Senior Director of Customer Experience, effective May 1.

Zmich has 30 years of experience as a sales and business development professional in specialty chemicals. In his new role, Zmich will lead the development and execution of strategies to serve the CASE, plastics, and lubricants markets.

Mugshot of Frank Naber

Frank Naber

With almost 25 years of experience in sales and marketing leadership roles, Horace will be responsible for expanding the company’s current efforts in the health and nutrition industry to include a broader consumer and life sciences portfolio.

Bradshaw, who has more than 15 years of experience in HR leadership, will be the first person to hold the chief human resources officer title at Palmer Holland. Engler will bring her more than 20 years of commercial experience to her new role as Senior Director of Customer Experience.

As part of this organizational restructuring, Matt Brewer, CFO, will now oversee supply chain, risk management, legal, and compliance functions in addition to the finance organization.

Brilliant Group Adds Mike Oberski, Alex Gerasimov

Brilliant Group, a manufacturer of fluorescent pigments, soluble toners, and paint and ink concentrates based in Richmond, CA, has announced the appointment of Mike Oberski as the technical sales manager and Alex Gerasimov as plant manager.

With more than 28 years of experience in pigments and printing inks, Oberski has spent the past nine years as technical industry manager of the pigments for inks division at BASF/Sun Chemical. Oberski will manage Brilliant’s U.S. and Canadian distribution network, which includes Brandt Technologies, Terra Firma, and Northspec.

Gerasimov has more than 15 years of leadership experience in manufacturing, including eight years as branch operations manager with Sherwin-Williams. He will be responsible for running Brilliant’s U.S. manufacturing plant in Richmond, CA, focusing on lean manufacturing and further building out the manufacturing team.

Westlake Chemical Partners Appoints Lisa Friel to Board of Directors

Westlake Chemical Partners has announced that Lisa A. Friel has been appointed to the board of directors of its general partner, Westlake Chemical Partners GP LLC.

Friel will replace Angela A. Minas. She was the managing partner of Ernst & Young LLP’s San Antonio, TX, office from July 2012 until her retirement in September 2020.