Natural Resources >> CEO Interviews >> November 5, 2002

Richard Rompala – The Valspar Corporation (val)

RICHARD M. ROMPALA is Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Valspar Corporation. He joined Valspar in March 1994 as President and as a member of the Board of Directors. He was named Chief Executive Officer in 1995 and added the position of Chairman in 1998. Before joining Valspar, Mr. Rompala spent nine years with PPG Industries in a variety of senior management positions. Most recently, Mr. Rompala was Group Vice President, Coatings and Resins and a member of the Management Committee. Prior to this position, Mr. Rompala was Group Vice President, Chemicals. As Vice President, Corporate Development for PPG, Mr. Rompala had responsibility for mergers and acquisitions, strategic planning, corporate communications and government affairs. Prior to joining PPG, Mr. Rompala spent five years as Senior Vice President, Operations at Mueller Brass Company, a custom fabricator of non-ferrous metals for both residential and commercial application. Mr. Rompala has also held senior management positions at Olin Corporation and St. Joe Minerals Corporation. Mr. Rompala received a degree in Chemical Engineering from Columbia University and an MBA from Harvard University. Profile
TWST: Could we start out with a quick overview of Valspar, how

you see the company today?

Mr. Rompala: Valspar is a coatings company with facilities in 28

countries around the world. We have a