Four Sun Chemical Leaders Win 2026 NAPIM Awards in Chicago

11 November 2026: Four Sun Chemical leaders have won 2026 NAPIM awards from the National Association of Printing Ink Manufacturers (NAPIM) for their work in printing ink technology. Russell Schwartz received the Ault Award, NAPIM’s highest honour, while Dr. Nikola Juhasz, Don Sierzega and Neil Forsythe received the George Fuchs Award. NAPIM presented them during its 5-8 October 2026 convention in Chicago.

Who won the 2026 NAPIM awards?

The 2026 NAPIM awards went to one Sun Chemical executive for the Ault Award and three for the George Fuchs Award (Printing Ink Pioneer), according to a Sun Chemical announcement dated 10 November 2026. NAPIM held its 2026 Annual Convention and Technical Conference at the voco Chicago Downtown-Riverwalk.

What do the Ault and George Fuchs awards recognise?

The Ault Award recognises exceptional contributions to the printing ink industry. It was established in memory of L.A. Ault, founder of the Ault and Wiborg Company. The George Fuchs Award honours Printing Ink Pioneers who have at least 20 years of service, significant industry involvement and technical contributions in areas such as laboratory work, engineering, production or product development.

Russell Schwartz: four decades of Sun Chemical research

Russell Schwartz joined Sun Chemical as a research chemist in 1981 and became Chief Technology Officer in 2011. As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, he oversees research and development across printing inks, pigments, coatings, electronic materials and other specialty products. Readers can also see our report on Sun Chemical’s electronic materials at TechBlick 2026.

Schwartz holds more than 60 US patents 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.

The three Printing Ink Pioneers

Dr. Nikola Juhasz, Global Technical Director for Sustainability, has more than 30 years of experience in chemicals, polymers and materials, including a decade at Sun Chemical. Her work has supported washable inks, recycling-friendly coatings and nitrocellulose-free platforms meant to improve packaging recyclability. She holds a PhD in chemical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Related reading: Sun Chemical’s fibre-based packaging partnership with Archipelago.

Don Sierzega joined Sun Chemical in 1988 as a colour matcher and formulator in the National Heatset laboratory, then moved through laboratory leadership and field marketing roles in the publication heatset business. He shifted to North American procurement in 2012 and now serves as Global Category Manager for packaging solvents and resins across the North American and European businesses. He has a chemistry degree from the University of Illinois Chicago.

Neil Forsythe has spent 40 years in printing inks and pigments. He started at Ciba-Geigy in Paisley, Scotland, developing azo pigments and pigment preparations, and later held senior roles at Ciba, BASF and Sun Chemical in several countries. He now leads ink business development in North America and manages several global key accounts. Forsythe earned bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and mathematics from the University of Glasgow.

What Sun Chemical said

“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.

www.sunchemical.com/careers