PPG Appoints Industry Veteran McGarry as New COO in Strategic Power Move

On August 1, Michael H. McGarry, a 33-year veteran of PPG, assumes the role of COO and leads strategy and operations worldwide.

McGarry will be in charge of executive oversight for the buying, information technology (IT), environment, health, and safety (EH&S), and all of PPG's strategic business divisions and operational areas. He will remain based at PPG's worldwide headquarters in Pittsburgh and continue to report to Charles E. Bunch, the company's chairperson and CEO.

McGarry has worked at PPG for 33 years, holding a number of important business and functional leadership positions in the US, Europe, and Asia. He also assisted in spearheading several strategic initiatives that have revolutionized PPG's business portfolio, including the purchase of SigmaKalon, the division of PPG's former commodity chemicals division, the purchase of AkzoNobel's architectural coatings division in North America, and, most recently, the recently announced deal to acquire Consorcio Comex, S.A. de C.V.

McGarry started as an engineer for PPG in 1981, working at the company's Lake Charles, Louisiana, chemicals plant. He then progressed through a series of increasingly responsible management roles, including market development manager for silica products, operations manager for silicas, Thailand, product manager for the derivatives, chlorine, liquid, and dry caustic soda industries, and business manager for TESLIN sheet.

He was made general manager of fine chemicals in 2000, and he was made vice president of chlor-alkali and derivatives in 2004. In 2006, McGarry was chosen managing director of PPG Europe and vice president of coatings for Europe. He was chosen as the commodity chemicals' senior vice president in 2008. His appointment as executive vice president came in September 2012. His leadership duties in this position have encompassed the worldwide architecture, automotive refinish, aerospace, protective and marine coatings, EH&S, and IT departments, as well as the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) and Asia/Pacific regions.