By CRM staff
Toronto, Ontario — October 10, 2018 — Axalta has announced that Robert Bryant will serve as the company’s permanent CEO.
Previously an executive vice president and chief financial officer for Axalta, Bryant had been serving as the company’s top executive in an interim capacity since October after the sudden departure of his predecesessor. Then-CEO Terrence Hahn, himself just eight weeks into the job, had left the company following an external review found his conduct to be inconsistent with the company’s policies.
The news comes as a relief to investors spooked by a chaotic period that saw the paint company have three CEOs in four months. Terrance Hahn resigned through a mutual agreement with the board following an investigation by outside counsel into conduct by Hahn, however they were unrelated to financial matters which the company believes were inconsistent with their policies. Hahn was also asked to leave his position on the board. He was first appointed for this position back in July of this year.
Widely seen as a business savvy straight-shooter, Bryant’s tenure as CEO has been widely viewed as effective in building investor confidence in Axalta. Chairman Charlie Shaver mentioned that he has worked closely with Bryant for over five years and knows that he possesses the right leadership skills to take on these roles effectively.
“I deeply appreciate the vote of confidence from Charlie and the Board. The management team at Axalta is resilient — we will work tirelessly to put this distraction behind us and focus on delivering outstanding products and customer service,” said Bryant.
