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Dr. Bedri Erdem, CTO at Rust-Oleum Corp. and RPM Consumer Group, will provide the keynote address at the 2026 American Coatings Conference.

The American Coatings Association (ACA), in partnership with Vincentz Network (VN), is pleased to announce that Dr. Bedri Erdem, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Rust-Oleum Corporation and RPM Consumer Group, will provide the keynote address at the 2026 American Coatings Conference. This major coatings industry technology forum will take place May 5-7 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, IN, held concurrently with the American Coatings Show (ACS).

Dr. Erdem’s keynote is titled, “Reimagining Chemistry as the Catalyst: Driving Innovation, Sustainability, Performance to Fuel Growth in the Coatings Industry.” His keynote will challenge attendees to rethink possibilities, innovate differently, and embrace partnerships that unlock the next era of performance, discovery, and sustainability in the materials and coatings sector.

Dr. Erdem joined Rust-Oleum in May 2017 as Vice President of Research & Development and Corporate Quality and has been serving as CTO at RPM Consumer Group since 2022. Prior to that, he spent 17 years in technology and management positions at Hexion and The Dow Chemical Company. A published scientist and inventor of multiple proprietary technologies, Dr. Erdem earned a Ph.D. in Polymer Science & Engineering from Lehigh University’s Emulsion Polymers Institute.

The 2026 American Coatings Conference will feature a curated, varied program across multiple topical tracks, offering some 96 technical sessions. The American Coatings Conference brings together members of the coatings industry’s technical and scientific community with members of the academic world of coatings and their students for three days of learning and sharing the latest scientific research and advancements in coatings technology .