Two senior appointments at Axalta
Axalta announced the appointment of Yves Kerstens as Vice President and President of its Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. Klaus Gast joins the company as its Business Director for Powder Coatings business in Europe.
Joe McDougall, Axalta’s Executive Vice President and President of Global Refinish and EMEA, says, “I am delighted to welcome Yves as Axalta’s new EMEA president. With his vast leadership experience, he has all the skills necessary to guide our business in the region. He will have a clear focus on our customers while also looking to expand Axalta’s business interests as well as optimising business processes.”
About Yves Kersten
Yves Kersten succeeds Matthias Schönberg. Before joining Axalta, Kerstens worked at Bridgestone Corporation for 13 years where he held a number of senior executive roles in the EMEA and the Asia Pacific regions. He previously worked in the management consulting sector, holding various positions at Capgemini and Ernst & Young Consulting. Kerstens holds Master’s degrees in Electromechanical Engineering Technology, Industrial Management and International Corporate Governance.
About Klaus Gast
Gast joins Axalta as Business Director for Powder Coatings business in Europe. He most recently served as the Area Vice President for Sales and Marketing at Nalco Water, in addition to other senior commercial and marketing roles. Rajeev Rao, Axalta’s Vice President for Global Powder Coatings, commented, “Axalta’s European powder coatings business is performing very well, and we believe that this positive momentum will continue under Klaus’ leadership. He has significant experience in the coatings industry, especially in senior commercial and marketing roles. I look forward to working with him in driving Axalta’s powder coatings business forward.”
Kerstens and Gast will both be based in Axalta’s EMEA headquarters in Basel, Switzerland. Both appointments were effective as of 1 August 2018.
