David Savastano, Editor02.07.22
Chris Parrilli’s path to the ink industry 41 years ago was different than most. However, he has made the most of his opportunities, rising to president, North American Ink at Sun Chemical and earning NAPIM’s Printing Ink Pioneer Award.
“I am privileged and humbled,” he said of receiving the honor. “So many great names have been recognized over the years, and I am very appreciative.”
Parrilli joined the ink industry after moving to Chicago in 1980.
“My wife and I just had our first child,” he recalled. “We were living in the Cleveland area, and my wife wanted to return home to the Chicago area. I started interviewing with CPA firms and one private company, Sun Chemical, through a friend of mine who recommended me and had good things to say about the company. I took the Sun Chemical job and the rest is history.”
Parrilli began his Sun Chemical career as an accounting manager and has held several key leadership positions over the years spanning sales, operations and finance. Throughout the early 1980s, he held several positions in finance, including accounting manager, group manufacturing controller, plant controller, and regional controller.
In 1986, Parrilli branched out into sales in the St. Louis branch and one year later, he moved into operations leadership as a branch manager and then district manager in Menomonee Falls, WI. In October 1993, he returned to the Northlake, IL divisional headquarters as regional manager and was promoted to VP, assistant GM of branch operations in June 1997.
Further promotions soon followed, including corporate VP (CVP) of business groups (1999); CVP of packaging business groups (2003); and VP, Customer Service Center for North American Inks (NAI) (2004).
In 2005, Parrilli was named president, publication inks, NAI, adding product management function as VP of product management for publication ink in 2014 and the Industrial Application group in 2016.
In 2017, he returned to Northlake as the VP, US packaging sales and was promoted to president, NAI in 2018. It is a rich and varied career.
“Certainly, 41 years in the industry is a highlight, but more significantly it has been the diverse businesses, the constantly changing dynamics, the people that I have had a chance to meet and call friends, the success of Sun Chemical and the colleagues that have taught me so much,” Parrilli said.
Parrilli is also active in the industry, having served or currently serving as a board member with NAPIM, FPA, PIA/ GATF and other organizations, and at home he enjoys his family as well as sports.
“I enjoy watching and sharing in my grandchildren’s activities and I still enjoy numerous sports, with golf being the one game I can still participate in without getting hurt,” he added.
Parrilli has seen a lot of changes during his time at Sun Chemical, with the business world becoming so much more efficient and productive.
“Customers are much greater in size, and demands are more and more challenging,” he observed. “There is greater concern for the world and how the ink industry’s footprint impacts the world. I probably just described every business; the point is that this business has always been faced with similar big business challenges and it has always adapted as needed.”
Parrilli is thankful for the many people who have had a hand in his career.
“If I start to name individuals, I will certainly miss a couple, so I will not go down that path,” he noted. “Let me leave it with the fact that I have had great mentors and great experiences. Sun Chemical has been very good to me and I hope I have performed to my various mentors’ expectations.”
“I am privileged and humbled,” he said of receiving the honor. “So many great names have been recognized over the years, and I am very appreciative.”
Parrilli joined the ink industry after moving to Chicago in 1980.
“My wife and I just had our first child,” he recalled. “We were living in the Cleveland area, and my wife wanted to return home to the Chicago area. I started interviewing with CPA firms and one private company, Sun Chemical, through a friend of mine who recommended me and had good things to say about the company. I took the Sun Chemical job and the rest is history.”
Parrilli began his Sun Chemical career as an accounting manager and has held several key leadership positions over the years spanning sales, operations and finance. Throughout the early 1980s, he held several positions in finance, including accounting manager, group manufacturing controller, plant controller, and regional controller.
In 1986, Parrilli branched out into sales in the St. Louis branch and one year later, he moved into operations leadership as a branch manager and then district manager in Menomonee Falls, WI. In October 1993, he returned to the Northlake, IL divisional headquarters as regional manager and was promoted to VP, assistant GM of branch operations in June 1997.
Further promotions soon followed, including corporate VP (CVP) of business groups (1999); CVP of packaging business groups (2003); and VP, Customer Service Center for North American Inks (NAI) (2004).
In 2005, Parrilli was named president, publication inks, NAI, adding product management function as VP of product management for publication ink in 2014 and the Industrial Application group in 2016.
In 2017, he returned to Northlake as the VP, US packaging sales and was promoted to president, NAI in 2018. It is a rich and varied career.
“Certainly, 41 years in the industry is a highlight, but more significantly it has been the diverse businesses, the constantly changing dynamics, the people that I have had a chance to meet and call friends, the success of Sun Chemical and the colleagues that have taught me so much,” Parrilli said.
Parrilli is also active in the industry, having served or currently serving as a board member with NAPIM, FPA, PIA/ GATF and other organizations, and at home he enjoys his family as well as sports.
“I enjoy watching and sharing in my grandchildren’s activities and I still enjoy numerous sports, with golf being the one game I can still participate in without getting hurt,” he added.
Parrilli has seen a lot of changes during his time at Sun Chemical, with the business world becoming so much more efficient and productive.
“Customers are much greater in size, and demands are more and more challenging,” he observed. “There is greater concern for the world and how the ink industry’s footprint impacts the world. I probably just described every business; the point is that this business has always been faced with similar big business challenges and it has always adapted as needed.”
Parrilli is thankful for the many people who have had a hand in his career.
“If I start to name individuals, I will certainly miss a couple, so I will not go down that path,” he noted. “Let me leave it with the fact that I have had great mentors and great experiences. Sun Chemical has been very good to me and I hope I have performed to my various mentors’ expectations.”