Leadership Panel

Shiona Stewart brings over 25 years of leadership and expertise in the Specialty Chemicals and Coatings industries. She currently serves as the Managing Director of CASE (Coatings, Adhesives, Sealants & Elastomers) for Azelis US—Azelis’ largest global business—where she has played a pivotal role in driving the company’s digital transformation. Shiona’s career spans a broad range of functional disciplines, including technical, strategic marketing, global key account management, and business management. She has successfully led regional and global cross-functional teams with increasing scope and complexity, working with some of the industry’s leading suppliers, including Dow Chemical, Lubrizol Corporation, and Troy Corporation.

Before joining Azelis, Shiona held senior leadership roles at BASF Corporation, where she served as North American Business Director for Additives and later as Business Director for Dispersions across the Construction, Paper Coatings, and Carpet segments.

Shiona holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Delaware Valley University.

Shiona Stewart brings over 25 years of leadership and expertise in the Specialty Chemicals and Coatings industries. She currently serves as the Managing Director of CASE (Coatings, Adhesives, Sealants & Elastomers) for Azelis US—Azelis’ largest global business—where she has played a pivotal role in driving the company’s digital transformation.

Shiona’s career spans a broad range of functional disciplines, including technical, strategic marketing, global key account management, and business management. She has successfully led regional and global cross-functional teams with increasing scope and complexity, working with some of the industry’s leading suppliers, including Dow Chemical, Lubrizol Corporation, and Troy Corporation.

Before joining Azelis, Shiona held senior leadership roles at BASF Corporation, where she served as North American Business Director for Additives and later as Business Director for Dispersions across the Construction, Paper Coatings, and Carpet segments. Shiona holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Delaware Valley University.

Pouyan Sardashti is the Technology Director for the Dispersions and Resins Division at BASF Corporations. In this role, Pouyan is responsible for the Americas R&D organization, overseeing the strategic direction and execution of R&D initiatives in target industries adhesives, construction, paper coatings, architectural coatings, and non-wovens.
Prior to his current position, Pouyan was responsible for the Global R&D unit and Center of Excellence (COE) – Polymer for Printing and Packaging, and North America R&D groups supporting industrial coatings & additives product development. In his role as COE head, he led the global product development and launch initiatives of BASF’s new sustainable waterborne functional barrier coatings for food packaging, enabling the replacement of incumbent polyolefin-based alternatives.
Pouyan has held various R&D roles during his 11-years tenure with BASF and led process and product development, analytics, digitalization & data science within the Dispersions and Resins group. Pouyan holds a PhD degree in Chemical Engineering from University of Waterloo (2014) and has published numerous patents and papers on topics related to polymer science and coatings technology.

Steve joined BEHR in Chicago in 1995 as a Senior Chemist and soon was promoted to Plant Manager. He ultimately took on the role of Director, Process Development before moving to St. Louis in 2004 to lead Research and Development for the KILZ team. Products such as KILZ Complete, KILZ Restoration and KILZ Complete Coat were all launched during Steve’s tenure.
In 2014, Steve shifted to BEHR headquarters to serve as Vice President, R&D Product Development where he provided leadership to PRO, Paint and Specialty teams formulating coatings for KILZ and BEHR branded products as well as leading the R&D team in Pune, India. Some of the programs commercialized under his leadership included BEHR Interior Stains, BEHR Enamel Aerosol, and BEHR Caulks and Sealants.
Steve was recently promoted to his current role where he leads all Research and Development teams and the Product Stewardship, Regulatory and Compliance functions.
Prior to BEHR, Steve worked for Benjamin Moore as Plant Chemist and various roles in Operations. He holds a double major in Chemistry and Business from Concordia University, and an MBA from Keller Graduate School.

Ross Nordin is the Director of Procurement for the Cloverdale Paint group the largest Canadian owned paint & coatings manufacturer in Canada serving homeowners, contractors, and businesses for decades. With trusted brands like Rodda Paint / Miller Paint, the Cloverdale Paint Group delivers quality you can count on. Operating company owned outlets and supporting dealer distribution throughout Canada and the USA dedicated to providing exceptional paint products and brands to various user segments. With over 13 years of experience leading strategic sourcing and procurement operations in the Paint and Coatings industry Ross holds his Supply Chain designation with the National Institute of Supply Chain Leaders (NISCL), Canada’s largest community of supply chain professionals.
At Cloverdale Paint, Ross oversees a talented procurement team responsible for global sourcing, contract negotiation, vendor management, and demand forecasting. Leveraging procurement analytics and ERP systems, he consistently delivers cost reductions, supply chain agility, and process efficiencies. A collaborative leader, Ross partners with finance, operations, and legal team to drive policies that support ethical sourcing, regulatory compliance, and ESG (environmental, social, and governance) standards.

Tracy Young is the Senior Global R&D Director responsible for leading research and development for Dow Coating Materials and Performance Monomers. Young is a member of Dow’s Global R&D Leadership Team with responsibility for leading research for one of six business units. She leads a global R&D organization to advance innovation and global strategic customer partnerships across acrylics technologies in architectural and industrial coatings, adhesives, plastics additives, and monomers. Previously, Young was the Global R&D/TS&D Director for Construction Chemicals, leading market driven innovation for roofing, flooring, wall systems, and the infrastructure sector across acrylics, cellulose ethers, redispersible latex powders, silicones, and hybrid system solutions. Young was a member of the Industrial Intermediates and Infrastructure R&D Division Leadership team and active externally with universities and industry associations across the building and infrastructure sector. Young began her career at Dow and has been an innovation leader for roughly 30 years at the technical market interface, working with customers and industry partners to develop and commercialize technology in Coatings & Acrylics technologies, Energy & Water, and Specialty Plastics & Packaging. She has been an active industry research leader to advance sustainable solutions for the infrastructure sector for energy and water, sustainable buildings, smart infrastructure, and coatings. As an R&D Director, she has been a key leader on several R&D Division Leadership teams, leading technology, building R&D centers globally, and driving new business development to advance innovation growth. Young received a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from Michigan State University and completed executive leadership programs with Dartmouth-Smith College and Michigan State University. She has held numerous industry, university, and government advisory board positions. She is currently a member of the American Coating Association Science & Technology committee and has been an active member of the American Institute of Chemicals Engineers, serving as a society chair for ten years and currently a member of the Institute for Sustainability and International Congress on Sustainable Science and Engineering. She is a member of the Society of Women Engineers, receiving the 2021 leadership award for advancing women in engineering.

Brian Turk is the co-founder of the Turk International LLC established in 2008. At Turk International LLC, we are a family-owned distribution company powered by numerous years of expertise in chemical formulation and distribution. Our mission is simple: deliver innovative, high-quality solutions tailored to the unique needs of our clients, from local businesses to global enterprises. In the 18 years since its founding, Turk International has built enduring partnerships across the U.S. and beyond, driven by trust, attention to detail, and a relentless pursuit of innovation. Brian Turk is a dynamic sales and marketing expert with a global footprint in the chemical industry. A seasoned business partner, Brian brings a wealth of technical and leadership skills, excelling in sales growth, team building, and client relationship management. His career highlights include transforming BASF’s global key accounts from zero to multimillion-dollar portfolios and driving success at industry giants like Akzo Nobel, Spraylat, and Union Carbide. With a Chemical Engineering degree and deep expertise in coatings technology, Brian’s skill set spans sales management, technical service, R&D, quality control, manufacturing, and personnel leadership. His ability to launch startups and scale established businesses sets him apart as a visionary in the field. Based in beautiful Santa Cruz, CA, Brian enjoys tending to his mini hobby farm and playing soccer with friends in his downtime Brian Turk is the co-founder of the Turk International LLC established in 2008. At Turk International LLC, we are a family-owned distribution company powered by numerous years of expertise in chemical formulation and distribution. Our mission is simple: deliver innovative, high-quality solutions tailored to the unique needs of our clients, from local businesses to global enterprises. In the 18 years since its founding, Turk International has built enduring partnerships across the U.S. and beyond, driven by trust, attention to detail, and a relentless pursuit of innovation. Brian Turk is a dynamic sales and marketing expert with a global footprint in the chemical industry. A seasoned business partner, Brian brings a wealth of technical and leadership skills, excelling in sales growth, team building, and client relationship management. His career highlights include transforming BASF’s global key accounts from zero to multimillion-dollar portfolios and driving success at industry giants like Akzo Nobel, Spraylat, and Union Carbide. With a Chemical Engineering degree and deep expertise in coatings technology, Brian’s skill set spans sales management, technical service, R&D, quality control, manufacturing, and personnel leadership. His ability to launch startups and scale established businesses sets him apart as a visionary in the field. Based in beautiful Santa Cruz, CA, Brian enjoys tending to his mini hobby farm and playing soccer with friends in his downtime.

Chris Dugan is the Director of Supply Chain of Dunn-Edwards Corporation. After graduating from New Mexico State University with a BA in Chemistry, Chris started his 30-year coatings career with Dunn-Edwards at their facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In 2001 he moved to Arizona as a Sales Service Chemist and eventually moved into operations with positions as a Director of Manufacturing and finally a role as the Director of Supply Chain. After Nippon completed the acquisition of Dunn-Edwards, Chris took as assignment as the Vice President of Purchasing and Trading at NPAA with broad responsibility for Supply Chain at the two automotive facilities in North America. Along his professional journey, Chris completed his MBA from the WP Carey School of Business at ASU. Chris currently lives in Gilbert, Arizona with his wife and two boys. When not applying band aids to a beleaguered supply chain, he enjoys spending time outdoors biking, hiking, or just generally soaking up sun