At Star Step Performance Coatings Group, our success is built on the vision, expertise, and dedication of our leadership team. With decades of combined experience across the coatings industry and beyond, our leaders bring a wealth of knowledge in areas ranging from technical innovation and operations to strategic growth and customer engagement. Together, they drive our mission to deliver exceptional performance coatings while fostering a culture of excellence, collaboration, and forward-thinking solutions. Diverse backgrounds and shared commitment to advancing the industry make them an integral part of our journey toward shaping the future of coatings.
Viktor Sekmakas
CEO Star Step Performance Coatings
Founding Managing Partner and Chief Executive Officer of Star Step Performance Coatings, LLC, Viktor has had two decades of experience in the coatings industry, including at PPG Industries, where he served as Executive Vice-President, after tenures in the U.S., Asia, and Europe. He has led the company’s Industrial, Packaging, and Protective & Marine Coatings businesses as well as the group’s purchasing function. Since he retired from PPG in 2017, he has served in several advisory and operating partner roles in private equity and has been an early-stage investor and Board member of multiple small to middle-market companies.
Roger Young
Chief of Staff Group COO
Roger has a unique background during his 24-year tenure in the coatings industry at PPG Industries, spanning finance, Industrial and Architectural Coatings sales & marketing, manufacturing, corporate M&A, and human resources, throughout the U.S. and Canada, Europe, and in the Asia-Pacific region. He has also significant corporate C-Suite experience as chief human resources officer and chief strategy officer, spanning the energy and apparel sourcing & manufacturing industries, before starting his entrepreneurial life back in the coatings industry as Chief Operating Officer of Star Step Performance Coatings, LLC.
Edoardo Maggini
Operating Partner
As Managing Partner at Orionis Capital, leads a private equity firm specializing in identifying and investing in small to mid-size businesses, driving consolidation in fragmented markets and creating value through strategic add-ons and operational excellence. As Founder & CEO of Fenix Technologies, led the company from inception to its successful acquisition by the market leader, transitioning to an advisory role to drive strategic growth and technological innovation. As Engineering and Operations Manager at Thyssenkrupp, one of the world’s largest industrial conglomerates, oversaw major projects like the Hudson Yards development in New York City and spearheaded process improvements rooted in engineering excellence.
Jennifer Leyland
Group Chief Administrative Officer
Jennifer Leyland brings more than 30 years of experience in the coatings industry, with a career rooted at Alta Paints & Coatings, where she played a key role in the company’s growth from a small, family-owned business into a regional distributor of specialty industrial coatings in Salt Lake City and Denver. Following Alta’s integration into Star Step Performance Coatings Group, Jennifer transitioned into a group-level leadership role supporting the broader platform.
As Group Chief Administrative Officer, Jennifer leads M&A due diligence and post-acquisition integration across core administrative and operational functions, including ERP strategy and implementation, treasury and credit, IT infrastructure, HR operations (including payroll, benefits, and HR systems), and other shared administrative services. She is responsible for developing and scaling shared services across the group to improve productivity, consistency, and cost efficiency, and oversees the day-to-day administrative operations of the Star Step platform.
Nikolas Kritsikis
Group M&A and Finance Manager
Nikolas Kritsikis serves as Group M&A & Finance Manager at Star Step Performance Coatings Group. He holds a BSc in Business Administration and a BA in International Relations, and earned his Master’s in Finance (Summa Cum Laude; MSF Award recipient of Class ’25; and Presidential & MSF scholarships recipient) from Babson College. After internships in investment banking and at Atlas Capital Management-a fundamental, bottom-up long/short equity firm-he joined Star Step as an M&A intern and quickly moved into his current role, leading deal diligence, financial modeling, FP&A, and fundraising efforts. Prior to graduate school, he served nine months in the Greek Army’s air-defense artillery unit.
Leane Owen
Group Chief Marketing Officer
Leane Owen brings nearly 30 years of experience in marketing strategy, brand development, and product positioning across technical and specialty markets. With deep roots in the specialty coatings and construction products industry, she has held leadership roles spanning manufacturing, agency, and corporate environments.
Prior to joining Star Step Performance Coatings Group, Leane was instrumental in the growth and national expansion of Arizona Polymer Flooring, helping transform the company from a regional player into a recognized national brand. As Group Chief Marketing Officer at Star Step, Leane provides platform-level marketing leadership across the operating brands, setting strategy and operating priorities while establishing the frameworks, standards, and governance required for consistent, scalable execution. She partners closely with sales, operations, R&D, and finance to ensure market-facing strategy, product development, and execution are aligned in support of the company’s growth and integration objectives.
John Sophir
Group Head of Business Development
John Sophir serves as Group Head of Business Development for Star Step Performance Coatings Group. In this role, John supports the group’s strategic growth initiatives, including evaluating M&A opportunities, assessing potential acquisition candidates, and helping define how new and existing operating companies fit within the broader portfolio. He also contributes to the development of organic growth strategies and new business development roadmaps.
John joined Star Step after spending six years with Alta Paints & Coatings and brings more than 33 years of experience in the coatings industry. His background includes manufacturing, warehouse operations, architectural representation programs, operations management, sales and sales leadership, dealer programs and dealer development, OEM coatings sales management, and product development. He has held executive leadership roles in the industry for over 15 years, bringing a well-rounded perspective to the organization.
Jason Nelms
Group Chief Procurement Officer
Mr. Nelms is an accomplished global supply chain executive with a proven track record across leading multinational corporations, including NOV, 3M, Gardner Denver, and FMC, as well as private equity-backed start-ups. At Star Step Group, he leads enterprise-wide procurement strategy, working closely with business leaders to drive operational synergies, enhance purchasing performance, and improve overall procurement effectiveness. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Business Management from West Texas A&M University and an MBA in Business Management from Texas Tech University. He also holds professional certificates in leadership, public speaking, and negotiation.
Ron Hutton
Group Marketing Director
Ron Hutton, Group Marketing Director at Star Step Performance Coatings, brings 40 years of experience in the coatings industry to his role. An alumnus of the University of Minnesota with a bachelor’s degree in business, Ron has held leadership positions at notable companies such as Valspar, Coronado Paint, AkzoNobel, and Nanochem Technologies before joining Richard’s Paint. Throughout his nine-year tenure at Richard’s Paint, Ron has spearheaded the launch of 27 innovative product lines and overseen the modernization of numerous existing ones, demonstrating a steadfast commitment to excellence and innovation.
Aaron Dhawan
CEO Star Step Richard’s Paint
Aaron joins the group as Chief Executive Officer at Star Step Richard’s Paint, after 6 years with the Richard’s Paint family, most recently as Vice President of Operations, and 33 years overall in the coatings industry. Throughout his career, Aaron has gained in-depth knowledge of all aspects of the coatings business: lab, technical, sales, marketing, product, and manufacturing & operations in architectural coatings, OEM, and performance coatings before assuming his current role as CEO. Aaron has been and is actively involved as a member of paint manufacturing industry associations.
Vasili (“Bill”) Lambros
CEO Star Step Trinkote Coatings
Bill joins the group with over 20 years of experience at Lafarge and will be driving process and operational excellence across the group’s manufacturing and operations. An expert in implementing quality management systems, product development and optimization strategies, Lean disciplines and processes, and technical/product training, Bill holds an engineering degree and a Master’s degree in Applied Science. Bill also leads the Star Step Trinkote Coatings, LLC operations, as a key manufacturing center of excellence for the group’s Industrial Coatings business.
Charles La Salle
President, Star Step Alta Coatings
Charles “Chuck” LaSalle serves as President of Star Step Alta Coatings, where he leads the business day-to-day across Alta Paints & Coatings and Desert Polymer Flooring. In this role, Chuck is responsible for operational execution, sales performance, and ensuring alignment across teams to support the company’s strategic growth objectives.
Chuck brings more than 30 years of experience in the coatings industry, including over two decades as the founder and owner of Desert Polymer Flooring. A U.S. Air Force and Gulf War veteran, he began his career in nuclear and aerospace security. Known for his hands-on leadership style, Chuck remains closely involved in the business, supporting teams and customers with practical, real-world expertise and a strong focus on execution.
Daniel Owen
Product & Technical Director, Industrial Coatings
Daniel Owen, Director of Product Development – Specialty Industrial Coatings at StarStep Performance Coatings Group, brings over 25 years of experience in product formulation, manufacturing, and business development for the specialty coatings industry. A proven innovator, Daniel previously served as Owner and CEO of Arizona Polymer Flooring, where he spearheaded product development, operations, and strategic growth initiatives that helped expand the company’s national footprint. Daniel leads new product development efforts across specialty industrial markets, driving innovation in epoxy, urethane, polyaspartic, and cementitious technologies to support the group’s expanding portfolio of high-performance brands.
Raj Lall
Manufacturing & Supply Chain Consultant
Raj Lall most recently served as Chief Operations Officer at Accupac, a contract manufacturer of personal care products, where he led team upgrades, enhanced EHS processes, and oversaw a lean manufacturing transformation in partnership with McKinsey.
Previously, he spent 36 years at PPG Industries, progressing from chemical engineer to Global Vice President of Operations for Industrial and Packaging businesses. His tenure included a six-year leadership role in Shanghai, where he directed regional operations and built multiple facilities. He developed and executed a global operations strategy spanning resin and powder coatings, and consistently led high-performing teams and world-class facilities. Mr. Lall holds a degree in Chemical Engineering, an MBA, and certifications in lean manufacturing and production/inventory control.