Sherwin-Williams announces leadership changes effective March 2019

The Sherwin-Williams Company has elected David B Sewell to serve as President and Chief Operating Officer effective March 1, 2019.

Mr Sewell, 50, has served as Sherwin-Williams’ President, Performance Coatings Group since August 2014.

Mr Sewell will report to John G Morikis, who will continue as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

Mr Sewell has held numerous key leadership positions since joining Sherwin-Williams in February 2007.

Prior to his appointment as President, Performance Coatings Group, he served as President & General Manager, Product Finishes Division, Global Finishes Group from July 2012 to August 2014.

Mr Sewell joined Sherwin-Williams after spending 15 successful years at General Electric Company in roles of increasing global leadership responsibilities, including most recently as General Manager – Engineering Styrenics, GE Plastics.

Mr Sewell received a B.A. in Economics from the University of Southern California.

In his new role, Mr. Sewell will be responsible for all of Sherwin-Williams’ operating segments, which includes The Americas Group, the Performance Coatings Group and the Consumer Brands Group.

Commenting on Mr Sewell’s appointment, Mr Morikis said, "We are very pleased our Board has elected David as President and Chief Operating Officer.

"David has served as an important member of our senior leadership team for many years and is ideally suited to lead our global operations based on his deep industry knowledge and commitment to operational excellence and delivering value to our customers.

"David’s leadership capabilities and long record of consistently delivering strong results will help Sherwin-Williams continue focusing on our long-term objectives with the goal of creating exceptional value for all of our stakeholders."

Sherwin-Williams also announced today that the Board has elected Aaron M Erter as President, Performance Coatings Group, succeeding Mr. Sewell, and Robert F Lynch as President, Consumer Brands Group, succeeding Mr Erter.

Both positions are also effective March 1, 2019.

Mr Erter, age 45, joined Sherwin-Williams in June 2017 in connection with the Valspar acquisition.

He has served as President, Consumer Brands Group since August 2017.

Mr Lynch, age 58, has been employed with Sherwin-Williams since October 2000.

He has served as President & General Manager, Retail – North America, Consumer Brands Group since August 2017.

"Aaron has been an excellent addition to our senior leadership team since joining Sherwin-Williams in connection with the Valspar acquisition, and Rob’s long tenure with the Company and proven leadership within the Consumer Brands Group will continue to serve the Company and our shareholders well," said Mr Morikis.

"I am confident Aaron and Rob will provide their respective Groups with the direction and strategic leadership necessary to continue our strong focus on accelerating our global growth, meeting the needs of our customers, and developing and retaining our talent."

Said John M Stropki, Lead Director of the Sherwin-Williams Board: "We are fortunate to have such strong, highly skilled and effective leaders in David, Aaron and Rob to manage our increasingly global portfolio of businesses.

"These promotions will allow John to increase our focus on the long-term strategic direction of Sherwin-Williams.

"These promotions are also a reflection of our ongoing and thoughtful commitment to management development and succession planning."