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Saint-Gobain Corporation names new vice presidents
VALLEY FORGE, PA (July 3, 2006) -- Saint-Gobain Corporation’s Board of Directors recently elected the following individuals as officers of the corporation:
John Mesher, who had been Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, was elevated to Senior Vice President of the company. In 1988, Mesher joined CertainTeed Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Saint-Gobain, as senior counsel. In 1991, he was named Deputy General Counsel and Assistant Secretary of Saint-Gobain Corporation. He was promoted to Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary in 1997. A member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and the American Corporate Counsel Association, Mesher holds a B.A. from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a J.D. from Duquesne University Law School. He resides in Downingtown, Pennsylvania.
Shawn Puccio, who had been Vice President, Finance, was elevated to Senior Vice President of the company. She joined Saint-Gobain in 2002 as Vice President, Internal Control Services, and became Vice President, Finance, in 2005. Puccio has a Bachelor’s of Business Administration in accounting from Marquette University, as well as an M.B.A. in finance and operations management from Wharton. She is a resident of Berwyn, Pennsylvania. Puccio is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants, as well as the Forum of Executive Women. Puccio is also treasurer of the Girl Scouts of Southeastern Pennsylvania.
Karen Cawkwell was elected Vice President, Communications, effective July 5th. She succeeds Dorothy Wackerman, who is retiring from the company. Cawkwell is currently Director of Communications for Saint-Gobain’s United Kingdom/Ireland organization. She joined Saint-Gobain as Communications Manager in the United Kingdom in 1997, and became Director in 2000. Cawkwell has a degree in American Studies from the University of Nottingham in England, and is in the process of moving to the Valley Forge area.
Catherine Ferrante was elected Vice President, Delegation Human Resources and Administrative Services. She had previously been Director of Human Resources and Administrative Services. Ferrante joined the company in 1974 as a Legal Assistant with CertainTeed. She has held various administrative management positions throughout her career with Saint-Gobain. While maintaining responsibility for the Administrative Services function, Ferrante began managing the Saint-Gobain Corporation Human Resources function for the company’s corporate departments in 1994 and was named Director of Administrative and Human Resources Services. Ferrante holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Villanova University and resides in North Wales, Pennsylvania.
Robert Pierce was elected Vice President, Corporate Compensation and Benefits. He had previously been Director of Corporate Compensation and Benefits. Pierce joined Saint-Gobain in 1994 as Corporate Benefits Manager, a position he held until 2004, when he was appointed Director, Benefits and Corporate Compensation. Pierce belongs to several professional human resources organizations, including the International Foundation of Employee Benefits, the Council on Employee Benefits, and the Pennsylvania Employee Benefit Association. He holds both a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Business Administration degree from Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Pierce is a resident of Marlton, New Jersey.
Saint-Gobain Corporation is the holding company for the U.S.- and Canadian-based businesses of Compagnie de Saint-Gobain (Paris), a leading producer of high-performance materials (abrasives, high-performance plastics, industrial ceramics and reinforcements), construction materials (insulation, exterior building products, gypsum products and piping), flat glass and glass packaging. The company is also the leading distributor of building materials in Europe. One of the top 100 industrial companies in the world, Saint-Gobain had sales of $44 billion in 2005.
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Contact: Bill Seiberlich
Communications
PH 610-341-7187
John Mesher, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, Saint-Gobain Corporation
Shawn Puccio, Senior Vice President, Finance, Saint-Gobain Corporation
Karen Cawkwell, Vice President, Communications, Saint-Gobain Corporation
Cathy Ferrante, Vice President, Delegation Human Resources and Administrative Services, Saint-Gobain Corporation
Robert Pierce, Vice President, Corporate Compensation and Benefits, Saint-Gobain Corporation