BASF’s Coatings division appoints heads for global business units

Effective August 1, 2023, the Coatings division of BASF will implement global units for its Automotive OEM Coatings Solutions and Automotive Refinish Coatings Solutions businesses. With the new organizational setup, BASF better serves its global customers who increasingly ask for global support and services.

Patrick Zheng Yu Zhao will take charge of the new Global Automotive OEM Coatings Solutions business unit, based in Hong Kong. Prior to this role, he was Senior Vice President at Coatings Solutions Asia Pacific. Zhao started his career at BASF in 1999 within the Polyurethane business and held various positions across different divisions. He has an MBA degree from Donghua University and a bachelor's degree in Polymer Science from East China University of Science and Technology.

Chris Titmarsh will assume responsibility for the new Global Automotive Refinish Coatings Solutions business unit, located in Münster, Germany. Most recently, he was Senior Vice President Automotive Refinish Coatings Solutions EMEA, based in Germany. Titmarsh studied Chemistry from 1992 and completed his postgraduate studies of Business Management in 1999. In 2006, he started his career at BASF as a polymer research chemist. He held various positions in marketing and business management before moving to the Asia Pacific Automotive business located in Hong Kong in 2015.

Frank Naber will assume responsibility for the Global Surface Treatment business unit, which operates under the Chemetall brand, in Frankfurt, Germany. In this position, he succeeds Christophe Cazabeau who will prepare for a new assignment. Prior to this role, Naber was Senior Vice President at Automotive OEM Coatings Solutions EMEA. He studied business administration at the University of Münster and began his career at BASF in 2004. He worked in various regional and global roles in the Polyurethane division in Germany and Belgium. In 2012, Naber joined the Coatings division, where he took on various account and business management functions in the Automotive OEM Coatings business unit in Münster and Hong Kong.

About BASF’s Coatings division

The Coatings division of BASF is a global expert in the development, production and marketing of innovative and sustainable automotive OEM and refinish coatings, decorative paints as well as applied surface treatments for metal, plastic and glass substrates in a wide range of industries. This portfolio is supplemented by "Beyond Paint Solutions", which enable new applications with innovative surfaces. We create advanced performance solutions and drive performance, design and new applications to meet our partners’ needs all over the world. BASF shares skills, knowledge and resources of interdisciplinary and global teams for the benefit of customers by operating a collaborative network of sites in Europe, North America, South America and Asia Pacific. In 2022, the Coatings division achieved global sales of about €4.22 billion.

Solutions beyond your imagination – Coatings by BASF. For more information about the Coatings division of BASF and its products, visit www.basf-coatings.com.

About BASF

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. More than 111,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio comprises six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €87.3 billion in 2022. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the United States. Further information at www.basf.com.

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