Axalta Coating Systems announced that Dr. Keith Silverman is joining Axalta as senior vice president and chief operations and supply chain officer, effective immediately.
“Keith is an outstanding leader with an impressive track record in leading operational excellence with a strong focus on safety and sustainability,” said Robert W. Bryant, president and CEO of Axalta. “He will lead Operations and Supply Chain, which includes manufacturing, supply chain, procurement, engineering, quality, operational excellence, and environmental, health & safety (EHS). I am pleased to add Keith’s expertise to Axalta’s senior leadership team. Keith is a dynamic leader who is effective at leading cross-functional teams to solve complex business problems, drive transformation and enhance operational rigor in a sustainable way while helping to deliver an exceptional customer experience.”
Dr. Silverman was most recently an external advisor with Bain & Company, lending his well-recognized expertise to Bain consultants and clients across operations, supply chain, manufacturing, EHS and quality. Dr. Silverman has also held a range of progressive operational leadership roles in the chemicals and pharmaceuticals industries. He served as the senior vice president of Global Operations, Quality & EHS for Ashland Global Holdings, Inc., a global chemical specialty company operating in 100-plus countries. Prior to joining Ashland, he spent 23 years with Merck & Co. in various leadership roles within Global EHS, Project Engineering and Research & Development.
Dr. Silverman earned a Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Chemistry from the New Jersey Institute of Technology. He also holds a master’s of public health and a B.A. in microbiology from Rutgers University. He is an executive committee member and past chair of the American Chemistry Council’s TRANSCAER program and a member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs Hazardous Materials Committee.
“It is an exciting time to join Axalta,” said Dr. Silverman. “I am thrilled to join a growing global industry leader that is keenly focused on innovation and creating value for customers, employees and the communities in which the company operates. I look forward to contributing to Axalta’s future success with a focus on safe and responsible operations and on exceeding customers’ expectations.”
