Four Sun Chemical Leaders Receive 2026 NAPIM Awards
Russell Schwartz receives the Ault Award. | Credit: Sun Chemical
Four Sun Chemical leaders received prestigious honors from the National Association of Printing Ink Manufacturers (NAPIM) for their contributions to printing ink technology and the industry.
Russell Schwartz received the 2026 Ault Award, NAPIM’s highest honor, while Dr. Nikola Juhasz, Don Sierzega and Neil Forsythe received the 2026 George Fuchs Award (Printing Ink Pioneer).
Established in memory of early industry leader L.A. Ault, founder of the Ault and Wiborg Company, the Ault Award recognizes exceptional contributions to the printing ink industry.
The George Fuchs Award honors Printing Ink Pioneers with at least 20 years of service, significant industry involvement and meaningful technical contributions in areas such as laboratory work, engineering, production or product development.
2026 Ault Award Recipient
Russell Schwartz has spent more than four decades advancing printing ink, pigment and specialty chemical technology at Sun Chemical. He joined the company as a research chemist in 1981 and became Chief Technology Officer in 2011. As a member of Sun Chemical’s Senior Leadership Team, he oversees research and development across printing inks, pigments, coatings, electronic materials and other specialty products. Schwartz holds more than 60 U.S. patents, has authored and edited technical publications, and received NAPIM’s Technical Achievement Award in 2005. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemistry from the State University of New York at Albany.
2026 George Fuchs Award Recipients
Dr. Nikola Juhasz brings more than 30 years of experience in chemicals, polymers and materials, including a decade at Sun Chemical. As Global Technical Director for Sustainability, she leads technical strategy and innovation across pigments, inks, coatings and adhesives. Her work has supported washable inks, recycling-friendly coatings and nitrocellulose-free platforms designed to improve packaging recyclability while maintaining performance. Juhasz also represents Sun Chemical in leading industry organizations and holds a PhD in chemical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Don Sierzega has more than 38 years of printing ink industry experience. He joined Sun Chemical in 1988 as a color matcher and formulator in the National Heatset laboratory, then advanced through laboratory leadership and field marketing roles in the publication heatset business. In 2012, he moved to North American procurement as a raw material category manager. He now serves as Global Category Manager for packaging solvents and resins across the North American and European businesses. Sierzega earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Illinois Chicago.
Neil Forsythe has 40 years of experience in the printing ink and pigment industries. He began his career developing azo pigments and pigment preparations for Ciba-Geigy in Paisley, Scotland, and later held increasingly senior roles in research and development, technical service, marketing and sales at Ciba, BASF and Sun Chemical in several countries. In his current dual role, Forsythe leads ink business development in North America and manages several global key accounts. He earned bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and mathematics from the University of Glasgow.
“On behalf of Sun Chemical, I congratulate Russ, Neil, Don and Nikola on this well-deserved recognition,” said Myron Petruch, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sun Chemical. “Their expertise, leadership and dedication exemplify the values that drive our company and strengthen the industries we serve.”
Sun Chemical also thanks NAPIM for fostering technical collaboration, knowledge-sharing and professional recognition across the printing ink community.
“NAPIM creates valuable opportunities for our industry to exchange knowledge and celebrate the people moving printing ink technology and the broader graphic arts field forward,” said Jim Van Horn, Chief Administrative Officer, General Counsel and Secretary of Sun Chemical. “We appreciate the organization’s continued commitment to that mission.”
The awards were presented at the 2026 NAPIM Annual Convention & Technical Conference, held October 5–8 at voco Chicago Downtown. The four honorees join many Sun Chemical employees recognized for professional achievements throughout the company’s more than 200-year history.
The preceding press release was provided by a company unaffiliated with Packaging Impressions. The views expressed within may not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of Packaging Impressions.
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- Business Management - Industry Trends
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- Sun Chemical Corp.
