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Obituary: William Harry Hernandez | PPG chief financial officer known for integrity and ‘extremely keen financial mind’

courtesy Hernandez family

Obituary: William Harry Hernandez | PPG chief financial officer known for integrity and ‘extremely keen financial mind’

April 1, 1948 – Jan. 14, 2023

The story of William Hernandez’s life is the quintessential American story.

The son of immigrants from Mexico and Argentina, Mr. Hernandez rose to the top of his profession, chief financial officer at Pittsburgh-based PPG.

Along the way, he worked hard, scrubbing pots at the Duquesne Club, delivering prescriptions in his home neighborhood of Brookline and working as an accountant in a local steel mill to help fund his education.

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“He had an amazing, incredible life,” said his daughter Lisa Hernandez, of Mt. Lebanon.

Mr. Hernandez, of Upper St. Clair, died of a heart attack Jan. 14. He was 74.

He was born and grew up in Brookline, where his father, Michael C. Hernandez — an immigrant from the San Luis Potosi region in Mexico — had come to work as a chef at the Duquesne Club after a career in the Merchant Marines.

The elder Mr. Hernandez, who couldn’t join the military because he was deaf, was beloved at the club for his ingenuity, including favorite menu items like “Mike’s corn fritters.”

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His mother, Selma Nassif Hernandez, had immigrated from Argentina.

As a young man, Mr. Hernandez washed dishes at the club, where he would go on to proudly become a member.

While attending South Hills High School, he made deliveries and worked as a soda jerk for Charleson’s Drug Store on Brookline Boulevard.

His parents scrimped and saved to send Mr. Hernandez and his siblings to the best schools.

“His mother worked so that their children could go to college,” his daughter said. “They wanted them to focus on their studies.”

After earning a bachelor’s degree in economics at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 1970, Mr. Hernandez went on to receive an MBA at Harvard Business School three years later.

Summers were spent earning extra money in the accounting department of a steel mill on the South Side.

In 1968, he was with friends in Shadyside when their car broke down. A group of young women, including Linda Varrenti, stopped to help.

The two married in 1972.

Mr. Hernandez worked in Detroit as a financial analyst at Ford Motor Co., then accepted a job at Borg-Warner Chemicals, at the company’s offices in Parkersburg, W.Va.; Detroit; and Chicago.

By 1990, he was appointed controller at PPG, a job he applied for on a whim after talking with his brother Robert about finding a job in his hometown, Mr. Hernandez told the Post-Gazette in 1998.

“I really didn’t think it would happen that fast,” he said in the May 1998 story about him and his brother, who served as chief financial officer of USX.

The brothers were to corporate finance in Pittsburgh “what the Rooneys were to Pittsburgh sports,” noted business writer Len Boselovic in the story.

In 1995, Mr. Hernandez was elected senior vice-president of finance and CFO at PPG.

He remained with the company until his retirement in 2009.

PPG executives recalled his contributions to the company over the years.

“PPG was very fortunate to have a person of Bill's caliber as CFO during a period of dramatic change for our company and the global economy,” said Tim Knavish, president and chief executive officer at PPG. “His reputation in the chemicals industry and among his peers is clear testimony to his career success and overall integrity. He was the consummate professional with an extremely keen financial mind. He also had a great sense of humor, a very friendly demeanor and was loved by employees throughout our company. ​In addition, Bill was a valued, trusted advisor to me personally as I moved throughout PPG's businesses earlier in my career."

Known for his integrity, Mr. Hernandez was singled out with several honors, including in Institutional Investor Magazine, which named him “Best CFO in the Chemical Industry” four times, along with CFO Magazine, which twice awarded him its “CFO of the Year” award.

His work also was published in The Harvard Business Review and Management Accounting Magazine.

“He was so widely admired, not only for his financial acumen but for his ethics,” his daughter said. “Among Wall Street analysts he was revered for his ethics in finance and accounting. I always took it for granted that he was brilliant, but that was the one thing I was always so proud of.”

“Bill was a true PPG leader who was passionate about the success of the company and equally passionate about building long-standing relationships," said Vince Morales, current PPG senior vice president and CFO.

Rich Zahren, retired vice president of automotive coatings at PPG, remembered Mr. Hernandez for his love of puns and his forthright nature.

“I always found him to be an easy guy to deal with,” he said. “We didn't always agree, but Bill was somebody who had integrity -- you could take his word at face value. And, Bill had a great sense of humor. He loved wordplay. He was a good guy and I will miss him.”

Over the years, Mr. Hernandez served on several corporate and nonprofit boards, including the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium, Blackbox and Kodak -- for which he got to attend Olympic games in Athens and Beijing, the Indianapolis 500 and even the 2006 Academy Awards in Hollywood.

At the time of his death, Mr. Hernandez served on the board of defense contractor Northrop Grumman.

“We were fortunate to have Bill on the Northrop Grumman board of directors since 2013,” said Kathy Warden, board chairwoman and CEO. “He will have an enduring impact on our company. I will miss his wise counsel and his stories about his life and business experiences. His mind was a sponge and he had a way of probing on the most relevant and topical business issues of the day. Bill was also one of your favorite people to be around. Our board and management team will miss his contagious spirit and his hearty laugh, while treasuring his lasting impression on each of us.”

An avid reader, runner and adventurer, Mr. Hernandez traveled the world for work and pleasure and recently took a trip to Scotland with his wife, children and grandchildren.

But, Mr. Hernandez’s favorite place was the Jersey shore — specifically Avalon, N.J., where his extended family gathered every summer.

“It is just this bucolic, beautiful island that we started going to in the ‘80s,” his daughter said. “We had so many special times there. In 2011, they built a house there and it was his dream come true. It was a big accomplishment for him and it was just his haven. He would go as often as he could and sit on the beach with a paperback. We’ll continue loving it and think of him every time we go.”

Along with his wife, brother and daughter, Mr. Hernandez is survived by his daughters Natalie Hernandez, of State College, and Aimee Hernandez, of Upper St. Clair; his sister Vivian Goldstrum, of Sewickley; and eight grandchildren.

His funeral was Monday.

In lieu of flowers please consider donations to Ligonier Camp and Conference Center, 188 Macartney Lane, Ligonier, PA 15658, Gwen’s Girls, 711 West Commons, Third Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15212, or the Helen L. Diller Vacation Home for Blind Children, P.O. Box 338, Avalon, N.J. 08202.

Janice Crompton: jcrompton@post-gazette.com.

First Published: January 24, 2023, 9:12 p.m.
Updated: January 26, 2023, 12:30 a.m.

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William Hernandez  (courtesy Hernandez family)
courtesy Hernandez family
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