BASF Coatings: New organization for automotive OEM and automotive refinish coatings
On August 1, 2023, BASF's Coatings division will introduce global units for the automotive OEM and automotive refinish businesses. The new organization will enable BASF to better serve its global customers, who increasingly want worldwide support and services.
Patrick Zheng Yu Zhao takes over as head of the new Global Automotive OEM Coatings Solutions business unit based in Hong Kong. He was previously senior vice president at Coatings Solutions Asia Pacific. Zhao started his career at BASF in 1999 in the polyurethanes business and held various positions in different divisions. He holds an MBA degree from Donghua University and a bachelor's degree in polymer science from East China University of Technology. Chris Titmarsh takes over as head of the new Global Automotive Refinish Coatings Solutions business unit in Münster, Germany. Most recently, he was senior vice president at Automotive Refinish Coatings Solutions EMEA, based in Germany. Titmarsh began his chemistry studies in 1992 and completed his master's degree in business management in 1999. In 2006, he joined BASF as a chemist in polymer research. He held various positions in marketing and business management before moving to the automotive business in Asia Pacific in Hong Kong in 2015.
Frank Naber takes over as head of the Global Surface Treatment business unit, which operates under the Chemetall brand, in Frankfurt. In this position, he succeeds Christophe Cazabeau, who is preparing for a new role. Naber was previously senior vice president at Automotive OEM Coatings Solutions EMEA. He studied business administration at the University of Münster and joined BASF in 2004. He initially held various regional and global positions in the Polyurethanes division in Germany and Belgium. In 2012, Naber moved to the Coatings division, where he assumed various key account and business management functions in the Automotive OEM Coatings business unit in Münster and Hong Kong.