Basel, Switzerland – 6 August 2018: Axalta (NYSE: AXTA), a leading global supplier of liquid and powder coatings, today announced the appointment of Yves Kerstens as Vice President and President of its Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. He succeeds Matthias Schönberg. Klaus Gast joins the company as its Business Director for Powder Coatings business in Europe. Both appointments were effective as of 1 August 2018.

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.

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.”

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.

For more information and to visit Axalta’s newsroom, please visit www.axalta.co.uk.

About Axalta

Axalta is a leading global company focused solely on coatings and providing customers with innovative, colourful, beautiful and sustainable solutions. From light OEM vehicles, commercial vehicles and refinish applications to electric motors, buildings and pipelines, our coatings are designed to prevent corrosion, increase productivity and enable the materials we coat to last longer. With more than 150 years of experience in the coatings industry, the 14,000 people of Axalta continue to find ways to serve our more than 100,000 customers in 130 countries better every day with the finest coatings, application systems and technology. For more information visit axalta.co.uk and follow us @Axalta on Twitter and on LinkedIn.