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, Koppers focuses on safely and sustainably 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-first 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 held several positions in finance with Carmeuse Lime Co./Dravo Corporation.

Leroy is a member of the Board of Directors for ATI Inc., a global specialty materials company, and Highmark Inc., a leading health insurance organization. Active in the local community, he serves on the Boards of Directors for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, The Advanced Leadership Initiative (TALI), and the Duquesne Club.

In 2024, the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) Three Rivers Chapter honored Leroy with the Director of the Year Award for Leadership in Company Governance. In 2020, he received the Chuck Cooper Foundation Leadership Award for his commitment to promoting diversity and making a positive community impact. In 2019, DEKRA Organizational Safety and Reliability recognized him with its Safety in Action ICON Award. In 2018, the 

 selected Leroy as an Outstanding CEO. He also was honored in 2016 with the Board Diversity Ambassador Award from 2020 Women on Boards, Pittsburgh.

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 

Jason Bakk is Vice President, Utility and Industrial Products (UIP) at Koppers. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the business including growing market share, strengthening customer relationships, optimizing production capabilities, and promoting safety and sustainability in the UIP business.

Jason joined Koppers in 2012 as the Phthalic Anhydride Plant Superintendent at the company’s Stickney, Illinois, facility. He was promoted to Plant Manager in 2014 and then to Operations Manager in 2018 before moving into the role of Vice President, North American Carbon Materials and Chemicals (CMC) in 2020. In this role, he directed commercial, financial, and production activities and helped manage the long-term capital plan for the CMC business segment. Bakk has more than 24 years of chemical industry experience, the last 11 with Koppers.

Prior to Koppers, Jason worked at Cristal Global as an Operations Manager for a titanium metal production facility. He has also held the roles of Process Engineer, Papermill Supervisor, and Pulp Mill Process Engineer at various companies.

Jason earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Western Ontario. He also has an MBA from Benedictine University.

Vice President, Utility and Industrial Products

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 

Dr. Feng retired as the Director of Science & Technology and Global Analytical Sciences for PPG Industries, Inc., a public company and a global supplier of paints, coatings, optical products, and specialty materials, in June 2023. Previously, she served as PPG’s Director of Research, Industrial and Packaging Coatings from June 2018 to March 2020. From September 2012 to June 2018, Dr. Feng held the positions of Executive Director and subsequently the Senior Associate Dean for Budget and Strategy of the University of Chicago’s Institute for Molecular Engineering, an interdisciplinary research institute and academic unit of a private research university.

Dr. Feng holds a Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry, which has provided her with a technical background and a strong expertise in the specialty chemicals industry. Dr. Feng’s technical and industry experience, her experience in risk management and regulatory compliance, and her knowledge of environmental risks and best practices, developed through her leadership positions with PPG Industries, Inc., Bayer Material Science LLC and Lanxess Corporation, provide an invaluable perspective to the board’s discussions. In addition, her insights into international business development, particularly in Asian markets, contribute to the board’s consideration of operations in that region.

Board Member 

Douglas J. Fenwick is President, Performance Chemicals at Koppers, since his election to the position in May 2017. Previously, he served as Vice President of Koppers Performance Chemicals Inc. from the company’s acquisition of Osmose, Inc. in August 2014.

Prior to joining Koppers, Doug was employed by Osmose from 2007 to 2014, holding various leadership roles, including Vice President, Customer Services. From 1993 to 2007, he served in a number of sales and operations positions with Brite Manufacturing in Toronto, Canada.

Mr. Fenwick graduated from Lakehead University in Ontario, Canada, with a bachelor’s degree in political science and business.

He currently volunteers with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Toronto and is an advisory board member of the Southern Conservation Trust in Georgia.

President, Koppers Performance Chemicals 

Travis is the Vice President of Railroad Products and Services (RPS). Travis has overseen all aspects of the legacy crosstie business since April 2019. In January of 2020, Travis took on additional responsibilities to include full P&L accountability for Koppers Railroad Services, Koppers Recovery Resources, and Rail Joints maintenance of way businesses. Travis has been instrumental in growing the RPS business through operational efficiencies and improved asset utilization.

Travis joined Koppers in 2007 as a Sales Administrator in RPS, and in 2011, moved into the position of Northeast Commercial Sales Manager of RPS where he was responsible for a $35M sales territory covering 14 states and two Canadian provinces. He was promoted to Class I Sales Manager in 2015 handling accounts such as Norfolk Southern, Canadian Pacific, and Canadian National, before advancing to Vice President, Commercial Sales in 2016. As Vice President of Commercial Sales, Travis managed a team of seven sales professionals accountable for sales to over 400 accounts across North America.

Travis holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Sales Management from the University of Akron, as well as an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh’s Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business.

Vice President, Railroad Products and Services 

James J. Healey is Special Assistant to the President and Chief Operating Officer. Prior to serving in this advisory role, he held the position of Vice President, Utility and Industrial Products (UIP), where he was responsible for advancing Koppers strategy of being a vertically integrated, high-value global supplier of wood-based technologies to infrastructure markets.

Jim started his career at Osmose as a Field Foreman and subsequently left to earn a master’s degree in wood physics from West Virginia University. In 1985, Jim joined Koppers, where he spent 22 years in various operations roles – the first half of that time period in the railroad business, followed by 11 years in the utility operations.

Adding to his experience in the utility sector, Jim joined Cox Industries in 2007, which then became a part of Koppers with the Cox acquisition in April 2018. He then moved into the role of General Manager – East Region of our UIP business, where he had responsibility for four of seven utility pole treating plants.

Jim earned a bachelor’s degree in forestry from Iowa State University. He has served as President of the American Wood Protection Association (AWPA), voting member of ANSI 05 and a board member of the North American Wood Pole Coalition . He remains actively involved in various industry associations.

He currently resides in Charleston, SC, with his wife Karyn.

Special Assistant to the President and Chief Operating Officer

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 

Ms. Jensen has served as Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of H.B. Fuller Company, a global adhesives manufacturer since December 2022. From January 2020 through December 2022, Ms. Jensen served as Vice President, Global Business Process Improvement, H.B. Fuller Company. From September 2016 to January 2020, Ms. Jensen served as Senior Vice President, Global Construction Adhesives, at H.B. Fuller Company and from January 2012 to September 2016, Ms. Jensen served as Senior Vice President, Americas Adhesives, at H.B. Fuller Company. Additionally, Ms. Jensen serves on the board of H.B. Fuller Foundation and previously served as Executive Committee Chairman on the Adhesives and Sealants Council.

Ms. Jensen’s experience in international operations within the chemicals industry and unique chemicals industry insights, developed through her leadership responsibilities in areas such as manufacturing, sales, marketing, research and development, and human resources, bring important perspective to the board’s discussions. In particular, Ms. Jensen’s international expertise contributes to the board’s consideration of our global operations.

Board Member

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 

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

Leroy Ball

Stephanie Apostolou

Jason Bakk

Joseph Dowd

Sharon Feng

Douglas Fenwick

Travis Gross

James Healey

Leslie Hyde

Traci Jensen

Tushar Lovalekar

Stephen Lucas

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