Koppers Names Sullivan President and Chief Transformation Officer
In this newly created role, Sullivan will lead the Koppers enterprise-wide transformation process named Catalyst. “He will oversee the evaluation, scoping, quantification, planning and execution of hundreds of opportunities through a rigorous process aimed at maximizing performance across every dimension of the company,” according to the global provider of treated wood products, wood treatment chemicals, and carbon compounds. Sullivan will continue to report to Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board Leroy Ball; business unit leadership will now also report to Ball in order to enable Sullivan to devote his full and focused attention to driving change.
“While the changes undertaken by Koppers over the past decade have certainly been transformational, I believe we still have a tremendous opportunity to dramatically improve our margin and cash flow profile,” said Ball. “This organizational change will allow Jim to intensely focus on implementing those actions that give us the best opportunity for success. His leadership of Catalyst is expected to build the bridge connecting our current strategy to our 2030 strategy.”
Sullivan will lead the newly established Transformation Office, a cross-functional team responsible for coordinating and executing the company’s Catalyst Initiative, “an enterprise-wide transformation process designed to challenge the status quo and change the way the company approaches performance improvements across all facets of the organization.”
Sullivan has more than 25 years of industry experience and more than a decade of executive leadership experience at Koppers, joining the company in June 2013. He most recently served as President and Chief Operating Officer, where he played a significant role in the development of the company’s strategy.
“I’m very excited to step into this role at such a critical time for Koppers,” said Sullivan. “I look forward to working with our talented teams around the world to unlock new opportunities and build a stronger, more resilient company.”
