BASF Coatings: New Senior Vice President of Automotive Refinish Coatings

After a successful 20-year career at BASF, including 11 years in the automotive refinish business, Chris Titmarsh has decided to step down from his position. For more than six years, he served as Senior Vice President in the automotive refinish division, initially overseeing the EMEA business and subsequently leading the global organization. During his tenure, he strengthened the business’s customer focus, drove the innovation agenda, and fostered global collaboration in key markets worldwide.

Extensive experience in the automotive refinish industry

Steve Arndt brings more than 30 years of experience in the automotive refinish industry, in both manufacturing and sales in North America and Europe. For six years, he served as Global Distribution Sales Director at Axalta Coating Systems, where he was responsible for the sales strategy in more than 140 countries. Prior to that, he was President and COO of FinishMaster, the leading independent automotive refinish distributor in North America. Uta Holzenkamp, President of BASF Coatings, says: “We sincerely thank Chris for his tremendous dedication to our customers and our business at BASF Coatings. We wish him all the best for the future. Steve combines, in a rare way, experience in both production and sales at the highest level in this industry. We are very pleased to welcome him to the team.” Steve Arndt comments: “I greatly appreciate the strengths of this business. The technology is world-class, and the company has built strong, long-term customer relationships. Together, we can achieve a great deal.”