Retired President, Roofing Products Group, CertainTeed Corp.
Hilyard served three terms as a member of the Alumni Advisory Council for the Weatherhead School of Management. In 2011, he received the Weatherhead Distinguished Alumni Award. The Distinguished Alumni Award was launched in 1993 and was designed to distinguish outstanding alumni from the Weatherhead School of Management. Hilyard also has been the president and chairman of the Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association. He also organized and is a member of a number of international technical committees relating to the health effects of asphalt fumes.
Hilyard began his education at Carnegie Mellon University and received a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering. He then continued his education at Case Western Reserve University and received an MBA. After his graduation from Case Western Reserve University, he completed the executive program in finance at Columbia University and the executive program in manufacturing at Dartmouth College.
Hilyard began his career at Diamond Shamrock and worked there for four years. He was one of the developers of Daconil, a fungicide that is still a market leader 50 years later. He then decided to work for Sherwin Williams and was there for 14 years. While there, Hilyard held various jobs as plant manager, head of planning, manager of manufacturing, controller for the Chemical Coatings Division and vice president of materials management. He then was offered an opportunity to work at CertainTeed and worked there for 19 years as the regional VP for the east coast, VP of operations, and then president of the Roofing Products Group. He grew the business from $175 million to $1 billion and is now retired.
Hilyard was also president of Ludowici Tile Co. for 10 years. Their products can be found at Princeton and Yale universities, U.S. Department of Commerce, New York Life Insurance Headquarters, and Union Station in Saint Louis, as well as on 80 percent of Frank Lloyd Wright’s buildings.
He also worked for Saint Gobain, where he was responsible for International Business Development for the Worldwide Construction Materials Group. He did the planning work for plants in India and China and was responsible for sales in 20 countries.
Hilyard is also the owner of an international business consultant business and has traveled to more than 120 countries for business and pleasure. He also has a Merchant Marine Masters License,, has crewed on tall ships all over the world, and is a member of the Board of Directors for the tall ship Pride of Baltimore.