International. PPG announced the appointment of Diane Kappas, current Vice President of Protective and Marine Coatings (PMC) of the Americas, as Vice President of Automotive Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Coatings of America, effective September 1.
Juanjo Ardid, currently general manager, global adhesives and sealants, will become vice president, PMC, U.S. and Canada effective August 1. Ardid will report to Ram Vadlamannati, senior vice president of PMC, and Kappas will report to Rebecca Liebert, senior vice president, automotive coatings. Kappas will replace Matt Marek, who announced his intention to retire, effective Sept. 1.
Kappas joined PPG in 1986 as a resin process engineer in PPG's industrial coatings and packaging businesses at the Springdale, Pennsylvania and Oak Creek, Wisconsin facilities. She has advanced through positions of greater responsibility throughout her career of more than 30 years with PPG.
Kappas held various positions in architectural cladding, including purchasing, operations management, technical management and quality control in Pittsburgh; Dover, Delaware; and East Point, Georgia. In 1998, Kappas was appointed manager of corporate diversity, corporate human resources. She became the plant manager of PPG's specialty chemical manufacturing plant in Barberton, Ohio, in 2001, and in 2004, she was named director of the automotive replacement glass supply chain. In this role, she had additional responsibilities as director of supply chain, automotive refinish in North America. In 2007, Kappas became commercial director of Teslin products. She was named Vice President of Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) in 2011, with global leadership responsibilities for the EHS and corporate sustainability function. In late 2013, Kappas moved into his most recent position as Vice President, PMC, Americas.
Kappas earned a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh and a master's degree in business administration from Duquesne University.
