Nippon Paint Marine appointed Gladys Goh as its President, effective immediately, making her the first female and foreign national to lead a principal operating company in Japan.
The marine division is the founding business for the 140-year-old Nippon Paint Holdings Group, a leader and pioneer in marine paint and Goh Gladys joined Nippon Paint Malaysia in 2006, driving the brand to become Malaysia's top coatings provider and subsequently led expansion into new markets. She concurrently serves as Senior Vice-President, Strategic Innovation & Marketing at NIPSEA Group.
Over the course of 2024, Nippon Paint Marine plans to launch several new products to market, including expanding its leading antifouling solution, FASTAR, to incorporate Hydrogel ‘water-trapping’ technology for both ocean-going and coastal-range vessels. It is also focusing on developing low VOC in both antifouling and anticorrosion coatings to meet regulatory compliances and regional VOC requirements, especially in key markets such as China and South Korea. Lowering VOC emissions helps protect the health of individuals working at shipyards and contributes to the overall sustainability of the marine industry.
Nippon Paint Marine will also strengthen its cargo hold and cargo tank solutions, including offering methanol-resistant coatings in line with the industry’s increased use of methanol as a viable new fuel to meet decarbonization targets. In 2024, the company will further expand its supply points, to include North America and South Africa, following the acquisition of new locations in Australia, Egypt, and Gibraltar last year.