Max Lewis
Vice President of Research & Development
Consumer Group

Meet Max Lewis, a key player in the growth and development of Sherwin-Williams' R&D operations. Max is responsible for the Research & Development operations located in Cleveland, Bedford Heights and Medina, Ohio, Olive Branch, MS, Holland, MI, Elk Grove, IL and for the Chemicals Business Unit’s manufacturing operations in Coffeyville, KS. Ultimately, he oversees the work of nearly 400 employees.

Max earned his BS and MS in Chemical Engineering from Brigham Young University (Provo, Utah) and an MBA from Phillips University (Enid, Oklahoma). His career began in 1979 as a Research Engineer with Conoco Chemicals. A few years later, when DuPont acquired Conoco, Max transferred into DuPont’s White Pigments business. He eventually left a marketing management position with DuPont in 1995 to join Sherwin-Williams as Director of Applied Research.

An active participant in local church and community improvement programs, Max is dedicated to helping others accomplish their ambitions. He shares his thoughts on how that ambition can translate into real success with Sherwin-Williams.

What does it take to be successful at Sherwin-Williams?

The R&D organization requires talented people who readily accept responsibility, who are willing to take prudent risks, who can easily adapt to change and who thrive on challenging work.

As a college graduate, what opportunities are there in R&D?

The R&D organization is one of Sherwin-Williams’ key competitive advantages. We have a world class organization that offers advancement up a dual career ladder - either professional/technical or management. Since R&D lies at the heart of the company’s operations, it provides avenues for career advancement into marketing, manufacturing, or any of the supply chain management functions. This is possible because the various functions within R&D interact with these other organizations on a daily basis.

Will I have opportunities to pick up other skills to advance my career?

R&D is a learning organization. Its numerous training and career development programs are designed to help you grow personally and professionally. Increasing levels of responsibility are given as fast as increasing abilities are demonstrated. And our promotional practices reward you for your efforts.

Will my fate be decided by a never-ending project?!

No! Depending on your interest, you can pursue short- or long-term projects... Our goal is to maintain Sherwin-Williams’ position as the product development leader of the North American paint and coatings industry. Being "Number One" requires continually creating new business opportunities for Sherwin-Williams by:

		repositioning existing products
		improving current offerings
		opening new markets
		developing new products or processes
		implementing new technology platforms
		protecting the natural environment
		bringing greater satisfaction to our customers.

What if I want to try something different?

Your work assignments can range from long-term research to development, to manufacturing scale-up or manufacturing support, or to customer and sales technical service. These challenging varied projects help make Sherwin-Williams’ R&D organization an excellent place to start your professional career. And, unlike other companies, your interaction with supply chain management functions provides ready access to careers outside of R&D.

Discover the Cleveland Technical Center and the myriad of opportunities within Sherwin-Williams. Then follow your dreams. Be willing to work hard for success and don’t let discouragement block your path. Above all, never lose sight of your goal.

As Max indicates, no matter where you start, our Continuing Education programs help you get where you want to go - at the pace you set.