Board of Directors

Business Unit Leaders

Leadership Council

Leroy M. Ball is Chief Executive Officer of Koppers and serves on the company’s Board of Directors. Under Leroy’s leadership as CEO, Koppers is focused on safely delivering customer-focused solutions through the development and application of technologies to enhance and preserve wood. Additionally, he has placed special emphasis on advancing the company’s people-focused culture.

Leroy joined Koppers in September 2010 as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, providing oversight for the finance, treasury, information technology and investor relations functions. From May to December 2014, he held the role of Chief Operating Officer, with responsibility for the company’s global business operations. He was elected President and Chief Executive Officer in January 2015.

Prior to Koppers, Leroy spent 10 years with Calgon Carbon Corporation, an international chemical company. During this time, he served as Controller before being named Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in 2002. He also served as President of the company’s majority-owned Japanese joint venture. Previously, Leroy was employed with Carmeuse Lime Co./Dravo Corporation for nine years, where he held several positions in the finance area.

Leroy is a member of the Board of Directors for ATI Inc., Highmark Inc., and the National Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Active in the local community, he also serves as the Treasurer for the Allegheny Conference on Community Development Board of Directors and is a member of The Advanced Leadership Initiative (TALI) CEO Council.

In 2016, Leroy was honored with the Board Diversity Ambassador Award from 2020 Women on Boards, Pittsburgh. In 2018, he was selected as an Outstanding CEO by the 

. In 2019, he was recognized with the Safety in Action ICON Award from DEKRA Organizational Safety and Reliability. Most recently in 2020, Leroy received the Chuck Cooper Foundation Leadership Award for a commitment to promoting diversity and making a positive community impact. 

Leroy received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Florida International University and earned an MBA from Robert Morris University.

He resides in the Pittsburgh-area with his wife, Ginger, and is the proud father of two daughters, Leah and Ally.

Chief Executive Officer

Stephanie L. Apostolou is General Counsel and Secretary for Koppers, responsible for all aspects of providing legal counsel for the company. She also has responsibility for coordinating the Company’s corporate governance function and matters relating to the Board of Directors.

Stephanie joined Koppers in 2011 as Deputy Counsel and Assistant Secretary. In her current role as General Counsel, she handles a broad array of legal matters and has oversight of the day-to-day management of the Legal Department. She is responsible for management and supervision of significant litigation, claims and various compliance, warranty, environmental and regulatory matters. As the Company’s Secretary, Stephanie coordinates meetings of the Board of Directors, and generally serves as a liaison for the company’s directors, officers, and shareholders. Stephanie also directs activities related to the annual meeting of shareholders and the maintenance of key corporate documents and records. She also provides day-to-day counseling and legal advisory services to Koppers business units and corporate support functions on contracts and negotiations concerning strategic transactions.

Prior to her career at Koppers, she served as an associate in the Corporate and Securities practice group of a major national law firm, and held various finance roles with a leading financial services provider.

She is a member of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth Future Corporate Leader Board and a member of the Board of Directors of Junior Achievement of Western Pennsylvania.

Stephanie earned a bachelor’s degree in Finance and French from the University of Notre Dame, and a juris doctor from the University of Notre Dame Law School.

General Counsel and Secretary 

Joseph P. Dowd is Vice President of Zero Harm, formerly known as Global Safety, Health, and Environmental. Joe also has responsibility for legacy Site Remediation, Information Technology (IT), our Project Management Office, and increased capabilities in Data Analytics.

Earlier in his career at Koppers, Joe held the role of Vice President, North American Carbon Materials and Chemicals. Prior to joining the company, he served as Vice President and General Manager, North American Recycling for Exide Technologies, Inc. and Global President and Chief Operating Officer with Silberline Manufacturing. He was also employed with BASF Corporation for sixteen years in various positions of increasing responsibility.

Joe earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Virginia and his master’s degree in business administration from the University of Pittsburgh’s Joseph M. Katz School of Business. He previously served as Board Chairman for the JDRF Western Pennsylvania Chapter, and remains active in supporting the organization's mission.

Vice President, Zero Harm 

Leslie S. Hyde is Senior Vice President, Chief Sustainability Officer for Koppers. She is responsible for driving global sustainability initiatives while advancing the company’s strategic vision for the future. She also leads the enterprise risk management and product stewardship functions.

Leslie joined Koppers in 1999 and most recently served as Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Risk Management for Koppers in 2019. Prior to that she was the Vice President, Risk Management and Deputy General Counsel in 2016-2017. Among her many accomplishments, she developed a Global Enterprise Risk Management System for the company and assumed responsibility for Product Stewardship.

Previously, Leslie held the role of Vice President, Safety, Health and Environmental Affairs progressing from Manager of Environmental Affairs for a combined total of sixteen years. In this capacity, she developed and implemented the compliance and management systems that were instrumental in advancing the Company’s Environmental, Health and Safety practices, culminating in achieving certifications for the ISO14001 standard in 2003 and the Responsible Care Management System© in 2015.

Leslie championed a broad spectrum of sustainability concepts, encompassing environmental, social and governance topics as well as published the Company’s first Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) compliant Sustainability Report in 2013. Additionally, she introduced several community initiatives at Koppers, including Community Advisory Panels at manufacturing locations and the Koppers Cares employee volunteer program.

Prior to joining Koppers, Leslie was a facility manager for a regional chemical manufacturing company, a consulting engineer, and served 10 years on active duty with the United States Army.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the United States Military Academy, an MBA from Golden Gate University, and a Juris Doctorate from Duquesne University.

Leslie currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Pittsburgh CLO.

She resides in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with her husband and two daughters.

Senior Vice President, Chief Sustainability Officer 

Tushar Lovalekar is Vice President, Information Technology at Koppers. In this role, Tushar oversees the company’s global IT operations, including stakeholder relations, strategy, governance, and digital transformation.

During his 20-year tenure at Koppers, Tushar has held various positions of increasing responsibility within the IT function, working on initiatives related to ERP systems, mobile computing, data analytics, SOX compliance, and cybersecurity.

In 2021, Tushar was named as a finalist for the Pittsburgh Technology Council’s CIO of the Year award. He is a governing body member of the Pittsburgh CIO Executive Summit and serves on the Board of Blind & Vision Rehabilitation Services of Pittsburgh (BVRS).

Tushar earned a bachelor’s degree in Electronics Engineering from the University of Mumbai and a diploma in Business Management from NMIMS School of Business Management. His certifications include ITIL Foundations, Management Essentials from Katz Graduate School of Business, and a Post-Graduate Program in Artificial Intelligence for Leaders from McCombs School of Business.

Vice President, Information Technology 

Stephen G. Lucas is Vice President, Culture and Engagement. He is responsible for leading all aspects of driving the organization’s people-first culture by ensuring the recruitment, development and retention of top talent, advancing the organization’s inclusion and diversity efforts, and finding new ways to enhance overall employee experience.

Stephen joined Koppers in April 2022. Prior to joining Koppers, he spent eight years with AMETEK, Inc., a manufacturer of electronic instruments and electromechanical devices, serving as Global Vice President of Human Resources. Previously he spent two years at Hartzell Industries, manufacturer of axial and centrifugal fans and processor of hardwood lumber, serving as Vice President Human Resources. He also spent 14 years at Illinois Tool Works (ITW), in their Food Equipment and Welding manufacturing divisions, serving as Group Human Resources Director.

Stephen received his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Marycrest College and earned an MBA from Wright State University. He is also certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR). He currently serves on Raj Soin College of Business advisory board at Wright State University.

Stephen resides in Naperville, IL, with his wife Amy. He has two daughters, Erica and Natasha.

Vice President, Culture and Engagement 

Quynh McGuire is Vice President, Investor Relations for Koppers. In this role since January 2020, she serves as the company’s primary liaison to inform and engage the investment community, while also ensuring compliance with financial disclosure regulations. Additionally, she is also actively involved in messaging and branding efforts to enhance engagement of employees and other stakeholder audiences.

Quynh joined Koppers in 2015 as Director, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications, bringing more than 25 years of experience in finance, communications, treasury and accounting roles. Prior to joining Koppers, Quynh held positions of increasing responsibility, which included leading Investor Relations at Kennametal Inc. and Duquesne Light Holdings and developing best-practice programs that strengthened relationships with the investment community.

Quynh is active in the local community, currently serving as a board member of The National Aviary, Leadership Pittsburgh Inc. and the Pittsburgh Schweitzer Fellows Program.

Quynh earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Quynh McGuire, Vice President, Investor Relations | Koppers, Inc.

Vice President, Investor Relations

Daniel J. Skrovanek is Vice President of Growth & Innovation for Koppers. In this role, he leads a team focused on challenging the organization’s thinking on growing its sales, earnings, and cash flows beyond the traditional scope of mergers and acquisitions while remaining in alignment with Koppers strategic pillars.

Dan joined Koppers in 2011 as Vice President, Strategic Planning and Growth. Since then, he has served in a variety of multifaceted roles highlighting his versatile background, most recently as Vice President of Purchasing and Strategic Marketing.

Prior to Koppers, Dan spent his career working in management for a number of organizations in the areas of strategy, operations, marketing, sales, product management, and research and development. These organizations included several large multinational companies, a startup, and in technology transfer at a major research university. Fluent in German, he spent four years in Germany, where he had global responsibility overseeing and executing strategy for a worldwide business.

Dan earned his bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees in Materials Science and Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University and an MBA from Robert Morris University. He is a graduate of Leadership Pittsburgh and has served on the boards of Variety: The Children’s Charity and the Pennsylvania Nanomaterials Commercialization Center. Dan resides with his family in the greater Pittsburgh region.

Vice President of Growth and Innovation 

Jimmi Sue Smith is the Chief Financial Officer for Koppers. In this role, she leads all aspects of the company’s global financial functions, including accounting, internal audit and control, financial shared services, financial planning and analysis, treasury, tax and investor relations.

Jimmi Sue joined Koppers in 2020 as Vice President of Finance and Treasurer, providing oversight of the global treasury management function. She was responsible for managing relationships with the company’s banking partners and bond rating agencies, leading cash forecasting and working capital management efforts, overseeing shared services and playing an integral role in M&A activities.

Prior to Koppers, Jimmi Sue spent 11 years with natural gas producer EQT, serving in a number of significant roles, including Director of Corporate Accounting, business unit VP/Controller, Chief Accounting Officer and Senior Vice President/Chief Financial Officer. Previously, she held finance roles of increasing responsibility at a number of Pittsburgh-area manufacturing companies.

Jimmi Sue graduated from West Virginia University with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an Accounting concentration, and earned her law degree from the Duquesne University School of Law.

Within the Pittsburgh community, Jimmi Sue is actively involved as co-chair of the Circles Board for the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, a board member for the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh and a member of the Executive Leadership Team for the 2022 March for Babies in support of the March of Dimes Western Pennsylvania.

Chief Financial Officer 

James A. Sullivan is President and Chief Operating Officer with responsibility for all four of Koppers business units. In addition, he oversees corporate procurement and process excellence.

Jim joined Koppers as Vice President of Business Development, Koppers Inc. in June 2013. Subsequently, he held the role of Senior Vice President, Global Carbon Materials and Chemicals (CMC), Koppers Inc. from April 2014 to May 2018. He was then elected Senior Vice President, Railroad Products and Services and Global Carbon Materials and Chemicals, Koppers Inc. from May 2018 through December 2019.

Prior to joining Koppers, Jim served as Senior Vice President, Americas at Calgon Carbon Corporation where he also held various management positions in the areas of operations, marketing, sales, and research and development.

He graduated from Ryerson University with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and earned his MBA from the University of Pittsburgh’s Joseph M. Katz School of Business.

Jim currently is a member of the Board of Directors for Vibrant Pittsburgh. 

President and Chief Operating Officer 

Kevin Washington is Vice President, External Relations. He is responsible for leading Koppers legislative and regulatory public policy strategy, managing community outreach to strengthen the company’s relationships with key stakeholders, and overseeing the corporate communications and giving functions.

Kevin joined Koppers in June 2022 after spending 10 years leading Government Affairs for Illinois Tool Works Inc., a global diversified manufacturer of commercial and industrial products, equipment, and services. In addition to other public policy leadership roles in the private sector, Kevin began his career in the nation’s capital with appointments as Congressional staff and within the Executive Branch.

Throughout his career, Kevin has gained extensive experience in reputation management and implementing advocacy strategies in close collaboration with federal, state, and international policy makers and elected officials.

He is a member and past president of the Business-Government Relations Council.

A fifth-generation Texas native, Kevin earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with concentrations in communication studies and political science from Southwest Texas State University.

Vice President, External Relations

From our company-wide Zero Harm commitment to the sustainability-based practices and products we undertake, everything we stand for at Koppers starts with our leadership teams.

Meet Our Leaders

Leadership Council

Leroy Ball

Stephanie Apostolou

Joseph Dowd

Leslie Hyde

Tushar Lovalekar

Stephen Lucas

Quynh McGuire

Daniel Skrovanek

Jimmi Sue Smith

James Sullivan

Kevin Washington

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