How does this succession plan compare to recent leadership changes at peer companies in the chemicals sector?

Comparison with peer chemistry‑sector succession moves

PPG’s plan is a textbook “internal hand‑over” – the 30‑year veteran general counsel, Anne Foulkes, will stay on in a “legal and special‑projects” SVP role until the end of 2026, giving the company a two‑year runway to install a new GC. In the last 12 months, most of the major chemicals peers have taken a different route. Dow Inc. and DuPont have both tapped outside talent for their top‑line roles (e.g., Dow’s 2023 appointment of Jim Fry as chief‑legal officer after a 10‑year external search, DuPont’s 2024 elevation of an external CFO to CEO). LyondellBasell and Huntsman have relied on rapid promotions – LyondellBasell named an internal senior‑manager as chief‑legal officer within six months of the departure, while Huntsman installed a new CEO on a 12‑month transition timetable.

Trading implications

The slower, internally‑driven transition at PPG signals continuity and low‑volatility risk, which the market typically rewards with a modest premium relative to peers that face more abrupt, external replacements. From a technical standpoint, PPG’s shares have been trading in a tight 20‑day range around the 55‑day moving average; the added governance stability could act as a catalyst for a short‑to‑medium‑term bounce toward the 200‑day trend line (≈ $55). In contrast, peers that announced external hires have seen short‑term price compression as investors price‑in integration risk (e.g., Dow fell 3 % after its external GC appointment).

Actionable view

• Long‑biased on PPG: the orderly hand‑off reduces execution risk and should support earnings visibility for FY 2026, making the stock a relatively safe holder in a sector that is still grappling with cyclical demand swings.
  
• Short‑to‑mid‑term entry on any pull‑back to the 20‑day lower band (≈ $52) with a target near $55‑$57, aligning with the 200‑day trend.
  
• Monitor peer updates: if a peer announces a rushed external hire or a board‑level shake‑up, PPG could capture relative strength as a “steady‑hand” alternative.
  

Overall, PPG’s measured succession plan is more conservative than the recent, often rapid, leadership changes at Dow, DuPont, LyondellBasell and Huntsman, and that extra certainty is likely to be reflected in a modest upside bias for the stock in the coming months.