PPG today announced the appointment of Kevin Walling as chief human resources officer, effective Feb. 10, 2020. Reporting to Michael McGarry, PPG chairman and CEO, Walling will be responsible for leading the company’s global human resources organization. He will be located at PPG’s global headquarters in Pittsburgh and will serve as a member of the company’s Operating Committee.
Over the past 30 years, Walling has delivered shareholder value and commercial performance through HR excellence. Most recently, he served as chief human resources officer at The Hershey Co. for almost a decade. In his leadership role, Walling helped transform Hershey through the alignment of strategy, talent and culture. He led Hershey’s global HR organization, talent management, leadership development, learning, recruitment and total rewards strategies. Walling also led the corporate communications and sustainability teams that drove Hershey’s global reputation, innovative community engagement and globally responsible citizenship.
“Kevin’s proven leadership will be invaluable as PPG continues to execute its global growth strategy and further develop its high-performance culture,” said Michael McGarry, PPG chairman and CEO. “He brings to PPG a deep expertise and experiences in HR analytics, leadership development, change management, diversity and inclusion, strategic capability building, organizational effectiveness and employee engagement. Kevin has demonstrated throughout his career a record of helping to create an environment that delivers exceptional results for employees, customers and shareholders.”
Prior to his role with Hershey, Walling held leadership roles with Kennametal Inc., where he was responsible for human resources in more than 60 countries; Marconi Corporation plc.; and Acclaim Entertainment. In addition, he served in management roles with PepsiCo and the Manville Corp.
Walling currently serves on the board of directors of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and the Gartner CHRO Leadership Advisory Board. He formerly served as a Trustee at the Lancaster Country Day School and was a member of the State of Pennsylvania Workforce Investment Board. He is a member the HR Policy Association and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial labor relations from LeMoyne College in Syracuse, New York.
