Gladys Goh named new Nippon Paint Marine president

Gladys Goh [Photo: Nippon Marine Paint]

Nippon Paint Marine, the world’s first manufacturer of biocide-free marine coatings, has announced the appointment of Gladys Goh as its president, effective immediately. With a history of over 140 years, the company is the founding business of the Nippon Paint Holdings Group and, with the appointment, Goh, a Malaysian, becomes the first woman, and the first foreign national to lead a principal operating company in Japan.

Goh, who concurrently serves as senior vice-president, strategic innovation and marketing at NIPSEA Group, joined Nippon Paint Malaysia in 2006, driving the brand to become Malaysia’s top coatings provider and subsequently leading its expansion into new markets.

Goh takes the helm at Nippon Paint Marine as the hull coatings market is seeing strong, sustained growth as a result of increased regulations, the drive to meet decarbonization targets and the impending higher costs of future fuels in line with shipping’s energy transition. These factors are generating a surge in the uptake of proven clean technologies that reduce fuel consumption and emissions and increase operational efficiencies, with advanced hull coatings being the most widely used and available technology that meets these need.

“I’m honored to have been appointed as president of the Nippon Paint Marine Group, and I am also proud to be able to reflect and represent the diversity of talent within the business,” says Goh. “We operate in an increasingly dynamic and fast-changing market, as the shipping industry faces multiple challenges. From improving its sustainability and meeting decarbonisation targets, to ensuring profitability during testing economic and geopolitical times. However, these challenges also bring many opportunities to innovate, to evolve and to create technologies and solutions that can drive genuine impact and positive change. My vision for growth is to deliver a multiplying effect that will drive this, enhancing our people’s capabilities, optimizing operational efficiency and delivering greater value to our customers.”

Over the course of 2024, Nippon Paint Marine plans to launch several new products to market. These 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 solutions 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.