Brad Budde, chief digital officer, PPG Industries

Digital transformation doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Just ask PPG Industries chief digital officer Brad Budde, the kickoff keynote speaker at EnvisionB2B 2024 in Chicago on Sept. 12.

There is nothing black and white about how PPG Industries approaches digital commerce and transformation. In fact, at PPG, digital transformation is a strategic priority.

PPG Industries is a 140-year-old manufacturing company with annual revenue of more than $17 billion. It’s also the maker of Glidden paints and numerous other types of paints and coatings.

In this keynote summary infographic, Budde details why ecommerce and many colorful iterations of innovative technology, are helping one of the most iconic names in American manufacturing reinvent itself.

Takeaways from Brad Budde’s keynote speech at EnvisionB2B 2024

From rolling out a new global ecommerce platform in the coming months to using headless commerce and artificial intelligence to expedite manufacturing and distribution operations, PPG is using digital technology to streamline how it does entire — and global — business lines.

“Our new CEO launched an enterprise growth strategy,” Budde told EnvisionB2B 2024 attendees. “Digital was one of five key elements along with others such as a focus on customer productivity and sustainability. Most of my work has been to align our digital initiatives with modern customer expectations and our biggest growth opportunities.”

Attendees focus as PPG Industries chief digital officer Brad Budde delivers his keynote speech at EnvisionB2B 2024 in Chicago.

Rebuilding and rethinking enterprise-wide digital commerce and transformation at PPG required organizational change at all levels, he says.

“PPG’s purpose statement is this: ‘We protect and beautify the world.’ That is not just about PPG products. It is about the ecosystem of people using the products and how they go about solving their daily challenges,” he told attendees. “So, in our digital program, we really focus on making our customers better at their jobs. I think about the hundred million engineers, architects, designers and painters who need to choose a coating or paint for their jobs. One of the reasons I love this job is that it can reach so many people.”

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