Axalta has appointed William Cook as Chair of its Board of Directors after Mark Garrett stepped down on 26 August due to increasing professional commitments in Europe.
“It has been an honour to serve as a member of Axalta’s Board of Directors for the past five years and the Chair for the past two years,” Garrett said. “Axalta’s future is bright and I look forward to seeing [Axalta CEO] Robert [Bryant] and the team lead the company to even greater heights.”
“On behalf of the board, I would like to thank Mark for his board service and his leadership over the past two years,” Cook said. “I am excited to assume the role of Chair as Axalta continues to deliver value to our stakeholders.”
Bryant paid tribute to Garrett and welcomed Cook’s appointment as board Chair.
“I have greatly appreciated Mark’s leadership and partnership and wish him much continued success,” Bryant said. “I am delighted to have Bill as Axalta’s new Chair. Bill’s significant experience as a CEO and in other executive roles at an industrial manufacturing business, as well as his public company board experience, have provided tremendous value to the board and will continue to serve Axalta well as we pursue our ambitious growth and innovation goals.”
Cook joined Axalta’s Board in 2019. He previously served as Executive Chairman of Donaldson Company until 2016 and prior to that served as Chairman, CEO and President of Donaldson for more than 10 years.
Axalta said that during his 35-year career at Donaldson, Cook held various roles of increasing responsibility, including Senior Vice President International, Chief Financial Officer, and Senior Vice President Commercial and Industrial. Axalta said Cook also brings strong public company board experience – he serves on the boards of directors of IDEX Corporation and Neenah, and previously served on the board of directors of Valspar Corporation.
Cook was named Public Company Director of the Year by the National Association of Corporate Directors in August this year.