PPG has appointed Tim Knavish as Chief Operating Officer, effective 1 March 2022.
A former Managing Director of Australia and New Zealand Coatings, Knavish will have executive oversight responsibility for all of PPG’s strategic business units and operating regions, as well as information technology, environment, health and safety, and procurement functions. He will remain based at PPG’s global headquarters in Pittsburgh and continue reporting to Chairman and CEO Michael McGarry.
Knavish has served as Executive Vice President since 2019, responsible for the global Architectural Coatings businesses, excluding the Latin America business, which was added to his responsibilities in 2021; the global Automotive Refinish business; the Latin America region and the digital and information technology functions.
Knavish joined PPG in flat glass engineering in 1987 at Pittsburgh. He advanced through roles of increasing responsibility in PPG’s flat glass and former automotive glass businesses before joining the Architectural Coatings business in 2000 as Plant Manager for the East Point manufacturing facility in Georgia.
In 2002, Knavish returned to Pittsburgh as Director Supply Chain for the former Automotive Replacement Glass business, then accepted the position of Global Director Manufacturing and Supply Chain for the automotive refinish coatings business in 2004.
He briefly moved to Australia in 2005 as Managing Director Australia and New Zealand Coatings, also acting as General Manager Automotive Refinish. Knavish then moved back to the USA to assume responsibility in Troy, Michigan as General Manager Automotive Coatings Americas in 2007, and in early 2010 was named a vice president with the same scope of responsibility.
In 2012 he relocated to Pittsburgh as Global Vice President Protective and Marine Coatings, returning to Troy in March 2012 as Senior Vice President Automotive Coatings and then back to Pittsburgh again in October 2017 as Senior Vice President Industrial Coatings.
In addition to global leadership of PPG’s Industrial Coatings, Packaging Coatings and Coatings Services businesses, Knavish was responsible for the global supply management function along with PPG’s Asia Pacific region. In January 2019, he was appointed Senior Vice President Architectural Coatings and President PPG EMEA, before being named Executive Vice President in October 2019.
“Tim’s proven experience and leadership throughout his 35-year career at PPG have been instrumental in driving PPG’s performance as a leading coatings and specialty materials company,” McGarry said. “Tim has worked in virtually all of PPG’s businesses and has made structural improvements in each business that he managed. He also played a key role in the most recent Tikkurila and Ennis-Flint acquisitions. Plus, in his primary role as leader of our global Architectural business, Tim is delivering further global collaboration, leading the adoption of new digital processes and delivering improved financial performance.
“In this new role, Tim’s broad operational expertise, global experience and demonstrated ability to lead our business strategies will play a key role in our continued focus to drive growth and deliver increased shareholder value.”