The Sherwin-Williams Company, founded in 1866, is one of the world's leading companies in the manufacture, distribution and sale of coatings and related products to professional, industrial, commercial and retail customers. The Performance Coatings Group serves the Automotive, Aerospace, Industrial, Transportation, Marine, Protective and Powder markets with surface solutions.I am responsible for defining, implementing and steering Color Strategies for all Performance Coatings Divisions.This includes color operations footprint, color materials strategy and special processes.

I am responsible for the color formulation technologies, developing a global strategy for methods and instruments, sharing best practices between the divisions and leveraging synergies on a global level.

I am accountable for developing and implementing a strategy that meets color-related needs of the Division by establishing priorities and directing the Global Color Team.Responsible for the entire color value stream from information through distribution.

Searched for opportunities putting my experience and core competencies to work and make valuable contributions: - if there is a need for an international, cross-cultural, cross-disciplinary team to deliver top and bottom line business results and completing complex international assignments.- in case an energetic strategist has to leverage business and market planning to drive improvements, affect change, and create international synergies.- by research and development of new products, design solutions and innovations that exceed customer expectations.- with client-centered, extensive experience fostering profitable and long-term business relationships, and providing solution-centered innovations.- employing creative strategies in business development, contract negotiation and administration, market analysis, new customer identification and international market differentiation.- as accomplished operations executive leading organizations to optimum performance, controlling costs, facilitate troubleshooting and continuous operating improvements.

The Performance Coatings divison is one of the world's leading suppliers of paints, coatings and services to the Automotive, Coil, Marine, Packaging, Powder, Protective, Specialty and Wood coatings markets. I was assigned to the Netherlands to streamline, consolidate and de-complex the numerous and redundant portfolios of colorants and pigments of 3 independent business units and promote inter-BU sharing. With a global responsibility for raw materials impacting sales worth $2.7BN, I represented the function in the Performance Coatings Management Team and reported to the Director RD&I Performance Coatings.▪ Established and led cross-functional and cross-business unit teams that analyzed, mapped and categorized portfolios and identified $14M savings potential▪ Initiated and managed cross-functional project to develop, manufacture and market a universal colorant system for global use, securing a $128M market and saving $1.5M annually

Automotive & Aerospace Coatings, formerly the Car Refinishes unit of Akzo Nobel, is one of the world's leading suppliers of paints and services for car repair, commercial vehicles, automotive plastics and aerospace coatings markets with reported sales over $ 1.3BN in 2011.I assumed this newly created position to globally manage and direct formerly fragmented activities to ensure product compliance with automotive OEM specifications and to support and secure ~30% of the this segment's worldwide sales of ~$250M. With 11 reports, a $1.6M budget responsibility and senior executive member of the global RD&I Management Team, I reported to the Director RD&I Automotive & Aerospace Coatings.▪ Designed, established and led an organisation of laboratories (Troy, USA / Stuttgart, Germany / Bengaluru, India)▪ Secured business and reduced “loss of business” risk from “significant” to “negligible”▪ Added Hyundai and KIA to list of approved manufacturers valued at $12M p/a▪ Expanded approved product portfolios for Ford, GM, Toyota, VW, and PSA to increase business opportunities valued at $1.3M annually

The Car Refinishes division at that time supplied paints and services for car repair, commercial vehicles and automotive plastic components.I was promoted to consolidate and integrate laboratory functions from merged business units and coordinate global development activities with 100 reports. Responsibilities included product- and color development, maintenance, technical services and laboratory operations with a budget of $13M. I represented the region in the Global R&D executive steering team and reported to the General Manager NA.▪ I managed to reduce the workforce by 20% while maintaining necessary market support▪ With combined budgets, 25% savings in operational costs could be realized

The Specialty Coatings activities within the Car Refinishes business unit represented those related to commercial vehicles, agricultural, construction and other special equipment OEM's. I was hired in to create, recruit and lead a new laboratory unit of 10 employees to support, sustain and grow the commercial vehicles business worth $90M for Akzo Nobel North America and reported to the Technical Director.▪ Established laboratory unit with 10 employees and implemented organizational tools to increase work efficiency▪ Supported a 10% sales increase

The Coatings Division of the BASF Group develops, produces and markets a high-quality portfolio of innovative automotive OEM coatings, automotive refinishes and industrial coatings as well as decorative paints. In 2011, the Coatings Division achieved world sales of $3.6BN.This position had been created as a single point of contact to manage and co-ordinate European automotive manufacturers as refinish paint key accounts, representing Glasurit® and R-M® brands and to negotiate contracts and follow-up of national implementation worldwide. I was responsible for ~ $50M of sales in this segment and had 20 functional reports; reported to Executive Vice President.▪ Reconciled relationship with Daimler AG and finalized global contract renewal with a $2.5M business potential

The Glasurit GmbH is a unit within BASF Coatings representing a very well known brand of products for the automotive refinish market.Returning from Japan back to Germany, I was challenged in this newly created function to manage and co-ordinate the acquisition and maintenance of Glasurit® automotive refinish key accounts with a budget of up to $700K and two direct and five functional reports, reporting to the Vice President. A core part was to perform market analyses, provide strategic planning for key accounts and to oversee the resulting European sales.▪ Several target customers in West-European countries could be identified which resulted in negotiated new contracts worth $1.5M

Nippon R-M® was a joint venture company between BASF Coatings AG and Nippon Oil And Fats. It developed, marketed and supported a high-quality portfolio of innovative automotive refinish coatings in Japan.I succeeded a colleague, who moved into another role in Asia, to help with the JV's ambitious growth goals by introducing new technologies not offered by local companies. In my primary role, I managed product-transfer and product-training, technical service, color development with 12 professionals and a budget of $1.2M. Together with the President and the Director of Sales, I was part of the leadership team. Working in a small company with 50 employees, other responsibilities included the liaison with the European R-M® headquarters to assist with marketing, advertising, logistics and pricing issues and keeping technical contacts to national automotive key accounts and car importers. During that time:▪ The customer base increased by 20% and the market share grew 1.5% annually by introducing new technology, resulting in market leadership for BASF▪ The productivity improved 20% by implementing color development lab as part of world-wide information network▪ I helped turning around financial situation and lowered expense spending 5% annually by effective account managing