PPG has announced the appointment of Rebecca Liebert as senior vice president, automotive coatings, effective June 25. Liebert, who will report to PPG Chairman and CEO Michael McGarry also will oversee the Latin America region and will join the company’s operating committee. In this role, Liebert will succeed Gary Danowski, current vice president, automotive coatings, who will become vice president, global automotive refinish, effective July 1. Danowski will replace John Outcalt, who has announced his intent to retire, effective Aug. 1.
Liebert joins PPG from Honeywell UOP, where she served as president and CEO. During her career with Honeywell, she also served as senior vice president and general manager, catalyst absorbents and specialties, UOP; senior vice president and general manager, gas processing and hydrogen; and vice president and general manager, electronics materials. Prior to joining Honeywell, she served as president, Reynolds Food packaging, Alcoa KAMA. Liebert began her career as a Six Sigma Top Gun development engineer with Nova Chemicals.
“Rebecca’s wide-ranging experience and proven leadership capabilities will be invaluable for the automotive OEM coatings business,” said McGarry. “Gary’s leadership skills, his perspective and his knowledge of the refinish business will serve him well in this new assignment.”
Danowski joined PPG in 1982 as a production engineer at a former automotive glass fabrication plant. He held various roles as an automotive glass sales engineer and superintendent of engineering. In 1994, he moved to Paris as director, market development, for PPG’s European glass business, returning to the United States in 1997 as plant manager of PPG’s former Meadville, Pennsylvania, glass manufacturing facility. He was appointed director, new products and services, flat glass, in 2001; director, production, automotive OEM glass, in 2003; and director, global operations, aerospace, in 2007. He was named vice president, performance glazings, in 2009. In 2011, Danowski relocated to PPG’s European headquarters in Rolle, Switzerland, for his role as vice president, automotive refinish, EMEA; and in 2017 became vice president, automotive coatings.
During his 35-year career with PPG, Outcalt has held positions of increasing responsibility in the automotive OEM coatings and automotive refinish businesses. Outcalt joined PPG’s automotive OEM coatings business in 1983 as marketing services manager. After progressing through various marketing, marketing services, technical, sales and management positions within automotive OEM coatings, he became director of network sales for automotive refinish. Outcalt served as director of collision center operations and director of sales, North America, refinish, before joining PPG’s insurance and services business as general manager. He became general manager, refinish, United States and Canada. In 2007, Outcalt was named vice president, automotive refinish, Americas, and in 2010, his role was expanded to encompass global responsibility for the refinish business.
“John’s capacity for building relationships with our refinish distributors, as well as his passion for results made him a key executive in contributing to the company’s success,” said McGarry. “PPG is a better company today because of the industry-leading global refinish business that John has nurtured and grown during his tenure.”
