Axalta announced that Dr. Carmen Flosbach and Dr. Michael Koerner have been elevated to Axalta Fellow, the highest honor that a scientist or engineer can earn within Axalta’s Technology function. Through individual and collaborative contributions, Axalta Fellows have delivered commercial success with cutting-edge technologies and have had a strategic impact on Axalta’s businesses.
Dr. Flosbach has been a catalyst for innovation throughout her 30-plus year career. As a leading expert in resin synthesis, she has delivered multiple new polymers for various different chemistry types including acrylic, aspartate, polycarbonate, polyester and polyurethane.
Flosbach led the technical design of resins currently used in Axalta’s solventborne and waterborne coatings including primers, basecoats, topcoats and clearcoats. Her strong track record of innovation includes over 100 patents, and she has authored various articles in peer-reviewed publications in addition to presenting at many technical conferences. Flosbach has a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Wuppertal.
Dr. Koerner is Axalta’s technical expert in waterborne coatings and rheology and has spent 34 years with Axalta. He holds numerous patents, and his innovations in waterborne technology have led to or enhanced waterborne coating technologies at Axalta.
Koerner is known as an industry leader in the global coatings market, has deep credibility with customers and is a mentor to Axalta colleagues. He has collaborated with researchers at top-tier universities, presented at numerous international conferences and has authored many publications. Koerner has a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Princeton University.
“Our technology team is the source of Axalta’s unrivaled R&D capabilities and innovations that deliver solutions for our customers,” said Robert Roop, senior vice president and chief technology officer at Axalta. “I am honored and proud to name Carmen and Mike as the newest Axalta Fellows and to formally recognize their outstanding contributions to our businesses and to research and scientific knowledge over the last three decades.”
