Automotive News Names Axalta Scientist, Lei Qiao, as One of 100 Leading Women in North American Auto Industry

PHILADELPHIA, May 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (AXTA), a leading global coatings company, announced today that Dr. Lei Qiao, Vice President of Technology, Mobility, has been named as one of the 100 Leading Women in the North American Auto Industry by Automotive News. The award recognizes exceptional female leaders in the automotive field who make major decisions with significant impact at their companies.

Dr. Qiao currently leads the Mobility technology team and is based at Axalta’s Global Innovation Center in Philadelphia – one of the largest coatings research and development facilities in the region. She has global responsibility for all technology growth initiatives in Axalta’s Mobility business unit. Before her current role, she led the Axalta Research and Development team and managed Axalta’s regional Mobility technology team in China. Dr. Qiao holds a Ph.D. in Materials Science from the University of Pennsylvania and an Executive MBA from Washington University in St. Louis.

“From Shanghai to Philadelphia, Lei has played an integral role in driving innovation across the enterprise,” said Dr. Robert Roop, Axalta’s Senior Vice President & Chief Technology Officer. “Her dynamic ability to blend her technical acumen with a commercial mindset has enabled her to help Axalta deliver innovative and functional products that solve our customers’ evolving challenges.”

The 2025 class of Automotive News’ 100 Leading Women in the North American Auto Industry emerged from a months-long nomination and judging process that attracted hundreds of entries from the United States, Canada and Mexico. This sixth list includes engineers, mobility leaders, manufacturing and marketing executives, financiers, dealer principals and designers.

About Axalta

Axalta is a global leader in the coatings industry, providing customers with innovative, colorful, beautiful, and sustainable coatings solutions. From light vehicles, commercial vehicles and refinish applications to electric motors, building facades and other industrial applications, our coatings are designed to prevent corrosion, increase productivity, and enhance durability. With more than 150 years of experience in the coatings industry, the global team at Axalta continues to find ways to serve our more than 100,000 customers in over 140 countries better every day with the finest coatings, application systems and technology. For more information, visit  and follow us on , , and  on X.

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Jessica McDuell 

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