Beyond SurFACES – Meet Caroline Harmon Cooper
Two decades of experience in the coatings industry

Please share a little about your career with BASF and your experience before joining the company.

I joined BASF Coatings about four years ago. Prior to that, I’d spent 18 years at Sherwin-Williams in a variety of roles across the architectural and industrial businesses. My first role within automotive refinish coatings was a Regional Business Manager position. Transitioning from Sherwin-Williams meant a steep learning curve, particularly in leading a remote team across a large geography, which accelerated my development in people leadership and operational execution. A key adjustment was our go-to-market approach, working in close partnership with distribution and managing the three-way relationship between BASF Coatings, distributors and repair shops.

After 18 months in the role, I stepped into the Eastern Zone Manager position following my predecessor’s retirement. April 1 marked my second anniversary in the role. The scope expanded from leading individual contributors to managing managers, with a broader and more strategic focus. I work closely with colleagues to drive growth and ensure consistent execution across the zone.

What does a typical day look like for you (if there even is a ‘typical’ day)? 

In the field, much of our day-to-day work is highly time sensitive. While partners wait on product, when agreements to protect and strengthen customer relationships need to be finalized, or when legal requirements are necessary, urgent responsiveness is essential. In addition, our business unit has a structured approval hierarchy, so items such as equipment requests, product orders, and distributor needs are managed with urgency and discipline to avoid delays. Due to the demand of those obligations, time management skills and the ability to prioritize are critical.  

At the same time, a significant portion of my role is proactive and strategic in nature - growing market share, strengthening relationships with customers and distribution, including identification of gaps in coverage, and the coaching and development of employees to drive performance. If we can improve in a market, I assess internal factors such as the level of support, the structure, team capabilities, and resourcing as well as external factors including whether we need additional distribution support or a more targeted sales focus to build presence. It’s about leveraging experience and defining the right balance for success.  

What changes are you seeing in the industry from your vantage point? Are there any trends you find particularly interesting? 

We’re seeing significant changes both internally and in the market. Internally, we’re proactively preparing to become a new company and making adjustments that allow us to respond more effectively to an evolving and cyclical market. 

At the same time, the refinish market is experiencing a slowdown, which affects how we run the business. Our industry is influenced by many factors, including geopolitics, economic conditions, market dynamics, advances in automotive technology and changes in insurance models. To succeed, we must continue to keep customers satisfied and sell through down cycles, while being ready to capture market share during upswings.

For us, the differentiator isn’t only the superior products we provide, but the relationships and trust we’ve built over years of delivering exceptional service. Customers recognize the value we bring and the assurance we provide to their businesses, and they are willing to pay for that. In parallel, the industry is undergoing continued consolidation. Multi-shop operators are acquiring independent repair shops, regional and national players are expanding, and the number of potential customers is shrinking. Consolidation is also affecting distribution, with major distributors merging, and competitors are consolidating as well. As a result, the competitive landscape is evolving across all levels of the industry.

What are you especially passionate about, either at work or outside work? 

My biggest passion is my family, most certainly. I am married and my husband and I have a 10-year-old little boy. My husband has been a tremendous supporter of my career and professional advancement. He plays a huge role at home and has been especially active in our son’s life and daily activities. It works for us – we have a well-grounded, amazing, big-hearted kiddo. He gets the support he needs at home, and he gets to see a dedicated and driven mother.  As a family, we love to travel, eat really yummy food, and just enjoy ourselves. It’s 100% chaos at our house all the time! We also have two dogs and a turtle!  About the turtle…he's a land turtle, he’s not aquatic and he’s not a tortoise. At this point, we’ve spent as much as a college education on him! We handfeed him rotisserie chicken, fruit, and worms, and he runs around the house with our son and both of our dachshunds. He thinks he's a dog! It's hilarious to watch them! 

What do you do to recharge after a long day at work?

That's a loaded question. I think we're past the work-life balance concept. I approach it more like work-life integration. We all have busy lives with a lot going on. Being a remote employee is beneficial in that it allows me the flexibility to plan my days the way I need to, to cover work priorities and still be present with my family. 

Recharge? I'm not always good at that. Truthfully, there are times when I'm not recharged and I’m juggling multiple priorities or whatnot. I travel for work a lot, so spending time with my family is absolutely a priority for me. Whether it’s camping, trips to the beach, going to our son’s activities, or just staying home, we have a lot of fun. One of our favorite things to do is to pile up on the couch, snuggle in, and binge watch our favorite shows and movies!

As an experienced leader with a lot to share, do you spend a lot of time mentoring?

Structured mentoring programs have a certain formality, but mentoring is more informal for me. I find that you are “elected” by the mentee as that ‘go-to’ person they trust and can learn from.  

It has a lot to do with personal connection and creating a safe place for someone and being dedicated to the development of that person. And that is what I have received as a mentee, from the mentors that I have had in the past. Is this person someone that I can call and say, “I've had the worst day,” and they just listen? Or is this someone I can call and ask how to work through a process the correct way? Or is this someone who I know in my heart has taken an interest in helping me develop personally and professionally? So, from a mentor perspective, I think it's more like a nomination, but it comes from the person that you're mentoring, not because someone asked you to mentor someone. 

What advice would you give to young professionals entering the industry? 

Breathe. Delegate when you can and leverage resources. I think that's vitally important.  

You should also get to a place where you can feel comfortable being uncomfortable, especially given the dynamic nature of our industry and how quickly change occurs. I have been in leadership for the majority of my 25-year career. Over that time, you learn to exist with the curve balls that are thrown your way. However, over the last several years, there have been many times that I’ve said, “Wow! That's a first!” The rate of change in the past four years alone has been significant, and the rate of change will only accelerate.  To help navigate change, my advice is to build a network of talented people around you and tap into those resources as needed to get the job done. That said, you should reciprocate their support by offering your knowledge and experience, becoming a resource to them. It’s about building trust as a team and paying it forward.