Jaime Irick

Jaime Irick is a visionary business leader and former CEO of Pittsburgh Paints Company, where he led one of the industry’s most significant transformations—a $2 billion corporate carve-out from PPG Industries Inc. to private equity firm American Industrial Partners. His leadership resulted in the formation of a standalone company with a strong strategic roadmap and a new executive team, positioning Pittsburgh Paints as a market leader in coatings, sealants, stains, and building products. The company serves both professionals and homeowners across North America, with products available in 750 company-owned locations and through national and independent retailers.

Jaime began his journey with PPG in 2019, holding multiple senior leadership roles before becoming the architect of the carve-out transaction. As Senior Vice President, he was responsible for two major divisions—Architectural Coatings for the U.S. and Canada, and Global Traffic Solutions—overseeing more than $3 billion in combined revenue and a workforce of 7,000. He was also a member of the company’s top decision-making body, the PPG Operating Committee.

Before PPG, Jaime served as President of Life Fitness, a global leader in commercial fitness equipment and a $1 billion division of Brunswick Corporation, which he helped transition to new ownership under KPS Capital Partners in 2019. His earlier career includes a 13-year tenure at General Electric, where he rose to the rank of GE Company Officer and led GE Lighting Solutions as President and CEO. He also championed educational innovation by founding GE’s MC2STEM high school, the first of its kind located on a corporate campus.

Jaime currently sits on the board of directors for Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE: ITW), a Fortune 300 industrial manufacturer with $15.9 billion in revenue for 2024 and global operations spanning multiple sectors, including automotive components and food service equipment.

A West Point graduate with a degree in Systems Engineering, Jaime served five years in the U.S. Army, reaching the rank of Captain and completing elite training as an Airborne Ranger. He later earned his MBA from Harvard Business School after returning from deployment and serving on the faculty at the United States Military Academy at West Point.

His leadership has been profiled in books such as True North and The Go Point, as well as in a Harvard Business School case study.