PPG yesterday announced the following leadership appointments for its architectural coatings and traffic solutions businesses, effective March 1, 2022:
- Henrik Bergström, currently PPG Vice President, architectural coatings, Latin America and President, PPG Comex, will become Vice President, architectural coatings, Latin America, EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) and ANZ (Australia and New Zealand). In this role, Bergström will join the company’s operating committee and continue reporting to Tim Knavish, who will become PPG Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective March 1, 2022, as previously announced.
- Javier Sosa, currently Director, professional division, PPG Comex, will become PPG Vice President, architectural coatings, Latin America and President, PPG Comex. Sosa will continue to report to Bergström.
- Jaime Irick, currently PPG Vice President, architectural coatings, U.S. and Canada, will assume additional accountability for PPG’s traffic solutions business. Irick will join the company’s operating committee and continue reporting to Knavish.
Before joining PPG in his current position in April 2017, Bergström was Senior Vice President, business development with AB Electrolux. He advanced through multiple leadership positions with AB Electrolux, including Vice President of the Andean region; President of Latin America and Caribbean operations; Global Vice President for air care products and Head of Asia sourcing operations; and President and CEO of small appliances. Bergström holds a master’s degree in marketing and finance from Esade, completed select coursework at Harvard Business School, and holds a degree in marketing and economics from the Stockholm School of Economics.
In his current role, Sosa is responsible for the commercial strategy for medium- and high-volume sales through the Comex concessionaire network in commercial, housing, hospitality, government and industrial sectors, and has oversight of the architectural coatings, protective and marine coatings and traffic solutions portfolios in Mexico and Central America. With more than 20 years of experience at PPG Comex, Sosa has held various leadership positions in marketing, product management and retail design experience areas. He holds a degree in marketing from Universidad Panamericana and a master of business administration (MBA) degree from IPADE Business School. He has also participated in the Retail Forum for Senior Leaders at Harvard Business School and completed a Business Marketing Strategy program at Northwestern University – Kellogg School of Management.
Prior to joining PPG in his current role in July 2019, Irick served as President of the Life Fitness Division of Brunswick Corp. and held leadership roles at the General Electric Company, where he was a GE Company Officer, including Chief Commercial Officer, GE Current; Vice President, GE Lighting North America; President and Chief Executive Officer, GE Lighting Solutions; General Manager, GE Power Sensing; Director of sales, GE Security; and Director, Corporate Initiatives Group, GE. Upon graduation from West Point, Irick was commissioned as a second lieutenant. He successfully completed several of the U.S. Army’s most prestigious and challenging leadership courses, including Airborne School and Ranger School. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.
