Former PPG Industries top executive Vincent Sarni dies at 93

Vincent “Vin” Sarni, retired PPG Industries chairman and chief executive officer, died on Feb. 21 at age 93.

Sarni served as chairman and CEO of the company from 1984 until his retirement in 1993, concluding a 25-year career with PPG.

“Vin was a strong and highly respected leader. He was the original architect of the very first ‘PPG Blueprint’ (vision and mission strategy); made PPG’s first inroads into the Asia Pacific region; was an early adopter and champion of the quality process; and was a strong advocate for PPG employees, shareholders and the communities where we operate,” said Michael McGarry, PPG chairman and CEO.

Sarni joined PPG as marketing vice president of the former Industrial Chemicals Department in 1968, after 12 years with Olin Corp. He was elected the business unit’s vice president and general manager in 1969. He became vice president and general manager of the former Chemicals Division in 1975; group vice president, chemicals, in 1977; corporate senior vice president in 1980; vice chairman in January 1984, and chairman and CEO in November 1984.

“Vin truly lived and breathed PPG every single day and never passed up a chance to talk up PPG and our great paint, even in retirement,” McGarry said.

Sarni was the former chairman of the boards of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, the Allegheny General Hospital, the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Pittsburgh Opera, and the National Organization for the Disabled. He also served on the boards of Carnegie Mellon University and Juniata College and was a founding director of the Extra Mile Education Foundation.

“All board members contribute their time, talent and treasure to the organizations they serve. Vince contributed generously to Pittsburgh Opera in all these areas,” said Pittsburgh Opera board president Dr. Donald R. Fischer when the opera presented Sarni with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020. “But perhaps his most important contribution was the example he set.

“He, as the CEO of one of our nation’s industrial powerhouses, one of our city’s most respected and admired people, demonstrated that the arts matter — and that this art form matters,” Fischer said. “He knew that in order to attract and retain top-tier talent to the region, the region must have a vibrant cultural landscape to contribute to its quality of life. When someone of Vince’s pedigree makes that statement by setting the example that he did, the statement is amplified many times over.”

Sarni’s service to the opera included board president, 1987-1990; board co-chair, 1990-1996; endowment committee chair, 1990-1998; Diamond Horseshoe Ball Committee chair, 1988-89 season; and corporate council member, 1990-91 season.

During his time as chairman of the board for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Sarni was a member of the business group that worked to keep the franchise in Pittsburgh.

Sarni was a former director of Amtrol, Brockway Inc., Hershey Corp., Honeywell Corp., LTV Inc., the former Mellon Bank, Mueller Group, Noveon and PNC Financial.

He and his wife, Sandra, were the primary contributors to the Sarni Tennis Center at the Penn State University main campus, which opened in 1998.

Sarni earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Rhode Island, did graduate studies in marketing at New York University Graduate School of Business, and completed the Advanced Management Program at the Harvard School of Business.

Born in Bayonne, N.J., and raised in Cranston, R.I., Sarni received honorary doctoral degrees from the University of Rhode Island, Juniata College, Robert Morris University and the New England Institute of Technology.