AZZ Inc. the leading independent provider of hot-dip galvanizing and coil coating solutions in North America, announced that effective March 1, 2025, Mr. Jeff Vellines will serve as President and Chief Operating Officer of the Precoat Metals business segment. Mr. Kurt Russell, AZZ's former President and Chief Operating Officer of the Precoat Metals business segment will transition into Senior Vice President and Chief Strategic Officer, where he will focus on several growth initiatives for the Company.
Mr. Vellines joined Precoat Metals in 2011 as Director of Strategic Planning where his primary focus was the integration of Roll Coater which had been acquired by Precoat. He was later promoted to the position of Vice President of Sales in 2013, and again in 2021, when he assumed responsibility for all Commercial Operations at Precoat as Senior Vice President. Most recently Jeff was appointed as President of AZZ Precoat Metals in the first quarter of 2024. Prior to joining Precoat, Jeff held a number of leadership roles at both Roll Coater and Material Sciences Corporation. He has a B.A. in Communications from the University of Illinois, and a M.B.A. from Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management.
Tom Ferguson, Chief Executive Officer of AZZ, said "We are excited to have Kurt Russell, with his tremendous experience in the metal coatings industry and successful track record leading AZZ Precoat Metals, move into the newly created Chief Strategic Officer role to support our stated objective to grow more aggressively in the coatings space. Jeff Vellines role is being expanded to include Kurt's current duties as Chief Operating Officer of AZZ Precoat Metals. Both promotions are a testament to our leadership bench strength, commitment to developing great talent, and emphasis on executing our strategic plans."
