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Nov 27, 2018

Axalta general counsel to exit

Michael Finn stepping down to pursue another professional opportunity

Michael Finn, Axalta Coating Systems’ general counsel and corporate/government affairs and corporate secretary, is stepping down to pursue another professional opportunity, according to the company.

Finn has served as Axalta’s general counsel since joining the company in 2013. He will leave the company before the end of the year but will continue to consult for Axalta to help with a smooth transition of his responsibilities, the company says in a statement. A spokesperson did not have further details of Finn’s new position.

Tabitha Oman, vice president, deputy general counsel and chief compliance officer, will serve as interim general counsel while Axalta conducts an executive search for a successor to Finn.

Before joining Axalta, Finn was vice president and general counsel of General Dynamics’ Advanced Information Systems subsidiary. Before that, he was vice president, general counsel and director of ethics and export compliance at General Dynamics UK. From 2002 to 2005, he served as senior counsel for General Dynamics Corporation. Between 1999 and 2002 he was general counsel and vice president at Sideware and associate general counsel and senior director of business affairs with Teligent.

‘Serving as Axalta’s general counsel has been enormously rewarding both professionally and personally, and stepping down was a difficult decision,’ Finn says in a statement. ‘I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished as a team during my time with the company, and I very much look forward to watching Axalta reach new heights in the future. I wish the best for Axalta and all of my colleagues at the company. I am confident that Tabitha will do a stellar job leading the department during this interim period.’

Robert Bryant, Axalta’s interim CEO, says in an announcement: ‘On behalf of Axalta, I would like to thank Michael for his leadership and counsel to Axalta during the past five years. Michael’s innumerable contributions go far beyond the global leadership of our legal and compliance functions, as he has been invaluable in establishing Axalta as a stand-alone public company, supporting our board, leading many significant transactions and managing complex litigation and regulatory matters.’

Ben Maiden

Ben Maiden is the editor-at-large of Governance Intelligence, an IR Media publication, having joined the company in December 2016. He is based in New York. Ben was previously managing editor of Compliance Reporter, covering regulatory and compliance...