Terrance Hahn to Join Axalta as Chief Executive Officer

Axalta Coating Systems announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Terrence Hahn as Chief Executive Officer, effective 4 September, 2018, succeeding Charlie Shaver, who served as Axalta’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer since 2013. Hahn will also serve on Axalta’s Board of Directors, expanding the Board’s size from eight to nine Directors.

Hahn was most recently President and Chief Executive Officer of Honeywell International Inc.’s Home and Building Technologies group. Shaver, who has chosen to step down as Chief Executive Officer to pursue a unique professional opportunity, will remain on Axalta’s Board and serve as Non-Executive Chairman, working closely with Hahn to ensure a seamless leadership transition.

Shaver said, “On behalf of Axalta’s Board, I want to welcome Terrence Hahn to the Company. We are confident that Terrence is a great choice to lead Axalta going forward. His accomplishments as an executive with over a decade of domestic and international experience across multiple business groups at Honeywell, along with his nearly two decades of previous experience in a variety of leadership roles at Air Products and Chemicals, make him a terrific fit for Axalta.”

Charlie Shaver steps down after five years as CEO, but will remain with the company

“Since I became CEO more than five years ago, we have prudently managed Axalta’s business and balance sheet, positioning the Company to capitalise on opportunities as they arise and generate long-term shareholder value. I am very proud of our achievements as well as our excellent prospects for the future. I recently informed the Board that I was considering stepping down as CEO and, consistent with our long-term succession planning, the Board commenced a search for a potential successor CEO to build on Axalta’s accomplishments and lead the Company forward,” said Shaver. “We identified Terrence as having a proven track record of success, and the right expertise, experience, and personality for Axalta. I look forward to a successful transition of the Chief Executive Officer role to Terrence and a wonderful partnership with him in my role as Chairman.”

Shaver continued, “Serving as CEO of Axalta has been an honour and a privilege. It was an extremely difficult decision to step away from an executive role at Axalta, but I am confident that Terrence has the right skillset to take Axalta to the next level of growth and development.”

Hahn commented, “I am honoured to join Axalta at this dynamic time for the Company and the coatings industry. Axalta has leading positions, a terrific executive team, strong global presence, and top brands. I am excited about the tremendous opportunity at Axalta to drive organic growth through innovative and value-add offerings that will deepen existing customer relationships and attract new customers, as well as add inorganic growth through strategic acquisitions. I appreciate the Board’s confidence in me and look forward to working with Charlie and the Axalta leadership team to help drive the next phase of Axalta’s growth and build shareholder value.”