August 15, 2022
Rakesh Sachdev, Interim CEO for Axalta
Axalta Coating Systems Ltd. recently announced that Robert Bryant will step down as president and CEO to pursue other opportunities, effective August 31, 2022. He will also step down as a member of the Board of Directors at such time. Rakesh Sachdev, an independent director and former CEO of Platform Specialty Products Corporation (now renamed Element Solutions Inc.) and Sigma-Aldrich Corporation, will assume the role of interim CEO at that time.
Bill Cook, Axalta’s Board Chair, said, “On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to thank Robert for his leadership and dedication to Axalta. Robert joined the company as CFO in 2013 when it was first carved out of DuPont and played a key role in Axalta’s successful IPO and listing on the NYSE in 2014. Since being appointed President, CEO and Director in 2018, Robert has built a strong leadership team and spearheaded our transition to a business-centric operational model that has allowed us to be more customer focused, while also advancing our innovation and human capital programs. I’d like to extend a special thanks for his leadership during the unprecedented challenges we’ve faced over the past few years related to the COVID-19 pandemic and global supply chain issues. We wish Robert continued success in his next endeavors.”
Cook continued, “With more than three decades of experience in the management of public and private chemical, life sciences and industrial businesses, Rakesh is a proven leader and the right choice to serve as Axalta’s interim CEO. The Board has tremendous confidence in Axalta’s leadership team and is focused on ensuring the team’s continuity during this transition.”
Sachdev said, “Axalta is an industry leader with clear priorities and paths to achieve secular growth and market share gains by leveraging our technology platforms and continuing to launch new and innovative products. During this transitionary period, I look forward to partnering with Axalta’s deep bench of senior leaders to drive further growth as end-markets normalize over time and to execute flawlessly on our strategy to significantly enhance value for all our stakeholders.”
“It has been an honour and a privilege to lead such a talented team across the globe. I am proud of the tremendous progress our company has made during my tenure. I want to thank our leadership team and employees for their tireless commitment to the company and our customers around the world. I look forward to watching Axalta realize its full potential,” said Bryant.
The Board of Directors has initiated a comprehensive search process to identify a new CEO.
