Timothy Dawe has joined BASF Automotive Refinish as the new sales director for North America. Previously, Dawe was the managing director for Axalta in China.

“Tim’s extensive experience and knowledge of the automotive refinish industry will enable him to immediately start to drive growth for BASF and our distribution partners,” said Paul Whittleston, BASF vice president of Automotive Refinish & Industrial Coating Solutions in North America. “This is a new position that will provide additional focus for our commercial team.”

Dawe has more than 30 years of experience in automotive refinish. He began his career at DuPont Performance Coatings in 1980. During his tenure, Dawe held positions including district manager, strategic marketing manager and regional manager. In 2011, he was named business director for Axalta in Greater China and managing director in 2013.

“We’re pleased that Tim has agreed to join BASF doing what he does best – growing sales,” said Whittleston.