Executives from American Industrial Partners gathered in Florida last week to meet the team at Pittsburgh Paints, including newly appointed CEO Brian Carson who was likely in attendance.
Carson is the third to helm Pittsburgh since AIP completed their acquisition of PPG’s architectural division just three months ago and he replaces Joe Durham, who for those keeping score at home had replaced Jaime Irick.
You may notice both Carson’s and Durham’s mentions above are linked to their LinkedIn profiles, an act of transparency rather than an effort to taunt. It’s a courtesy I was offering to Jaime Irick, though it seems Irick has had enough of my transparency and has blocked me on LinkedIn. Awakening me from my dream that he might one day appear on my podcast.
THE announcement of Carson’s “hiring” set my DM’s ablaze, with most of the traffic coming from PPC employees wondering what the move might expose about AIP’s intentions.
Had Carson been an outsider, his appointment might have carried meaning. Hiring an outsider would obligate AIP to disclose their intentions for Pittsburgh Paints to anyone considering accepting the job, lest they risk legal action from an injured executive who felt rug pulled were they to divest.
But Carson comes to Pittsburgh from AIP’s stable of executives, more a transfer than a strategic hire. That shift leaving little to divine of AIP intentions from his appointment, though I did learn what he was talking about while he was in Florida!
I shared two events with my brothers last week including attendance at an induction ceremony for new members, pledges in the parlance of my era.
The offer of brotherhood is a fraternity’s most sacred rite and on that night eight men pledged their lives to our common values: philanthropy, honesty and a commitment to each other. THE chapter now has a month to see if these men are up to that task.
Because some might not be.
Deemed worthy they’ll be offered brotherhood, a lifetime commitment to caring for each other and the communities around us. THE same commitment I made myself.
Because I am my brother’s keeper.
