AkzoNobel and Axalta announce three directors to finalize the combined company Board
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Akzo Nobel N.V. and Axalta Coating Systems Ltd. announced that Stephan B. Tanda, Denise C. Johnson and Robert Schuchna have agreed to serve as non-executive Directors of the combined company upon completion of their pending merger of equals.
Rakesh Sachdev, Chair of the Axalta Board of Directors – who will serve as Chair of the combined company Board, stated, “We are pleased to announce that Stephan, Denise and Robert will join the combined company Board upon closing of our merger. Stephan and Denise each bring significant senior executive experience driving growth at a variety of industrial businesses, and Robert’s deep investment background will reinforce the Board’s focus on long-term value creation. Together, their expertise will further strengthen the Board and enhance its oversight of the combined company’s strategic priorities.”
Ben Noteboom, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of AkzoNobel, who will serve as Vice-Chair of the combined company Board, said: "These highly qualified independent directors bring experience that will support the Board as we bring together our complementary portfolios, industry-leading innovation capabilities and talented teams. We have already seen the value Robert has added to AkzoNobel as a member of our Supervisory Board, and we look forward to benefiting from his continued insights alongside Stephan and Denise. With the Board now fully assembled, we are confident the combined company is well positioned to realize the full potential of the merger by accelerating innovation, strengthening customer relationships and delivering sustainable growth."
As of closing, the combined company Board will be composed of Rakesh Sachdev (Chair), Ben Noteboom (Vice-Chair), Greg Poux-Guillaume (CEO), Chris Villavarayan (Deputy CEO), Jaska de Bakker, Jan Bertsch, Denise Johnson, Wouter Kolk, Robert Schuchna, Kevin Stein and Stephan Tanda.
About Denise C. Johnson
Johnson is currently a Group President of Caterpillar and is responsible for Resource Industries (RI), where she has responsibilities for mining, heavy construction, quarry and aggregates products, services and technology. She also serves as a Director of ABB, a global technology leader focused on electrification and automation. Before joining Caterpillar in 2011, she worked for General Motors (GM) in different managerial roles in the US and as President and Managing Director of GM in Brazil. Johnson holds a Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Michigan State University and Master’s degrees in mechanical engineering and business administration from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
About Robert Schuchna
Schuchna is a partner at Cevian Capital, the leading active ownership fund focused on public companies in Europe. He has played an instrumental role in investments across the chemicals, consumer goods, industrials and pharma sectors, from initial due diligence through the development and implementation of value-enhancement plans. Schuchna currently serves on the AkzoNobel Supervisory Board, as well as the Board of Directors of Rexel. Schuchna holds a Master’s degree in banking and finance from the University of Zurich.
About Stephan B. Tanda
Tanda currently serves as President and CEO of AptarGroup, which has announced his retirement as CEO on September 1, 2026. At AptarGroup, he drove transformation of the company’s strategy from a consumer-focused packaging manufacturer into a high-margin, innovation-led leader in drug delivery and active material sciences. Previously, he served as an Executive Managing Board Director for ten years at Royal DSM NV. His career also includes leadership roles at DuPont and Freudenberg Nonwovens Group. He currently serves as a Director of AptarGroup and of Ingredion, a global provider of ingredients for the food, beverage, brewing and pharmaceutical industries and numerous industrial sectors, and previously served as a Director on the Board of Patheon NV, a Pharma Custom Manufacturer, from its IPO to its sale to ThermoFisher Scientific, and on the board of Semperit AG. Tanda holds a degree in Plastics Engineering from the University of Leoben in Austria, as well as an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
The appointments of these three additional non-executive Directors are expected to be subject to be put forward for shareholder approval at an Extraordinary General Meeting later this year.
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