Dr Keith Silverman has joined Axalta as Senior Vice President and Chief Operations and Supply Chain Officer, effective immediately.
Axalta President and CEO Robert Bryant said Silverman is an outstanding leader with an impressive track record in leading operational excellence. “He will lead operations and supply chain, which includes manufacturing, supply chain, procurement, engineering, quality, operational excellence, and environmental, health and safety (EHS),” said Bryant.
“I am pleased to add Keith’s expertise to Axalta’s senior leadership team. Keith is a dynamic leader who is effective at leading cross-functional teams to solve complex business problems, drive transformation and enhance operational rigor in a sustainable way, while helping to deliver an exceptional customer experience.”
Silverman said it is an exciting time to join Axalta.
“I am thrilled to join a growing global industry leader that is keenly focused on innovation and creating value for customers, employees and the communities in which the company operates,” said Silverman. “I look forward to contributing to Axalta’s future success with a focus on safe and responsible operations and on exceeding customers’ expectations.”
Silverman was most recently an external advisor with Bain & Company, applying his expertise across operations, supply chain, manufacturing, EHS and quality. He also held a range of operational leadership roles in the chemicals and pharmaceuticals industries, including as the SVP of Global Operations, Quality & EHS for Ashland Global Holdings, a global chemical specialty company operating in more than 100 countries. Prior to joining Ashland, he spent 23 years with Merck & Co in various leadership roles within global EHS, project engineering, and research and development.
Silverman earned a PhD in Environmental Science and Chemistry from New Jersey Institute of Technology and holds a Master of Public Health and a BA in Microbiology from Rutgers University. He is an executive committee member and past Chair of the American Chemistry Council’s TRANSCAER programme, and a member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs Hazardous Materials Committee.