People
Motion announces executive officer promotions
MOTION ANNOUNCES EXECUTIVE OFFICER PROMOTIONS
Motion Industries Inc., a leading distributor of maintenance, repair and operation replacement parts, and a premier provider of industrial technology solutions, has announced the promotions of Joe Limbaugh to Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer, and James Howe to Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer/Chief Technology Officer, effective June 1, 2023. Both will continue to report to Motion’s President Randy Breaux.
This year, Limbaugh will celebrate 40 yr with Motion. In 2021, he was promoted to Executive Vice President, leading strategic initiatives to improve customer service levels and increase Motion’s productivity. In addition to his current responsibilities leading marketing, supply chain, DC/FC operations, real estate and enterprise excellence, he will assume responsibility for operations in all of the Mi solutions businesses. This includes Mi Conveyance Solutions, Mi Fluid Power Solutions, Motion Ai and Mi Repair & Services.
Howe recently celebrated 30 yr with Motion and was promoted to Executive Vice President in 2021 with responsibility for ecommerce, strategic pricing, sales excellence and corporate accounts. He will continue to lead in these areas with the added responsibility of human resources.
Joe Limbaugh
James Howe
CRC EVENTS APPOINTS LUIS ARAUJO AS CHAIRMAN, CAROL CHESNEY TO CHAIR ITS AUDIT COMMITTEE
CRC Evans, a market leader in the provision of welding and coating services to the energy sector, has appointed industry heavyweight Luis Araujo as Chairman to help drive its next growth phase.
The appointment comes after a transformational year for the business, which has seen revenues grow to more than a quarter of a billion pounds and strong growth across its core markets, including hydrogen, carbon capture, renewables, infrastructure and nuclear.
With its leadership in this space, CRC Evans has real growth potential over the coming years demonstrated by recent contract wins, including with Subsea7 and Technip FMC.
The new CRC Evans was created after the acquisition by Pipeline Technique of CRC-Evans Pipeline International, Pipeline Induction Heat (PIH), and Stanley Inspection from Stanley Black & Decker, with the new combined business taking the CRC Evans name. The combined business has a strong heritage of onshore and offshore oil and gas pipeline construction, manufacturing and technology development and a reputation that has earned the trust of customers around the world.
By appointing Araujo, CRC Evans has an experienced Chairman with a successful track record of growing businesses across the energy sector. During his term as CEO of Aker Solutions, Araujo led the company through a significant transformation, expanding the company's international presence and client base and implementing an energy transition strategy that culminated with the successful launch of new companies, Aker Carbon Capture and Aker Offshore Wind.
With more than 38 yr of experience in the energy and oil and gas industries, Araujo has worked on a portfolio of advisory roles, with global experience in project management, engineering and sales, most recently as CEO of Aker Solutions from 2014–2020. Prior to his appointment as CEO, he held Regional President and Executive Vice-President roles in the company since 2011. Prior to his period with Aker Solutions, he was CEO of Wellstream Brazil, a pipeline products company with a wide range of pipe solutions, currently part of Baker Hughes GE.
In addition to his new role as a Chairman at CRC Evans, Araujo also holds the position of Chairman with several other businesses, aiming to create transformational change within the energy sector.
CRC Evans is also appointing Carol Chesney to Chair its Audit Committee. Chesney has more than 35 yr of experience in complex finance, audit and company secretary roles and has served on the boards of four listed companies, including Renishaw Plc., Hunting Plc., Biffa Plc. and IQE Plc. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and earned her BA degree in mathematics from Randolph-Macon Woman's College.
CRC Evans is backed by Bluewater, the specialist energy-focused international private equity firm.
Luis Araujo
ENERMECH APPOINTS IAN SPENCELEY TO KEY ROLE AS IT TARGETS EXPANSION
EnerMech has appointed senior industry leader Ian Spenceley as Operations and Maintenance (O&M) and Asset Management Director as it continues to develop its specialist integrity and technical services globally, to offer integrated solutions as part of its full asset lifecycle support.
With more than 30 yr of oil and gas experience, Spenceley’s addition to the senior leadership team will add further weight to the organization’s asset integrity management, O&M and shutdown and turnaround (TAR) capabilities.
The company is in a period of rapid growth as it increases its foothold in new and existing markets as it furthers its diversification strategy into new sectors, including marine, renewable energy and infrastructure.
Based in the UK and reporting directly to Carl Mook, Regional Director for Europe, Spenceley will also play a key strategic client-facing role, identifying areas where the business can bring additional value to its clients. Initially this will involve the introduction and application of new smart processes, technologies, innovation, systems and strategic specialist partnering solutions to support further efficiencies and maximize investment.
From a marine and mechanical engineering background including time as a Chief Engineer in the Merchant Navy, Spenceley has vast senior leadership and operational experience in the upstream, downstream petrochemical, refining and asset management industries.
He has worked around the globe in the UK, the Philippines, Sakhalin Island, Oman/UAE, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore and South Africa for major integrated oil and gas companies. This includes bp, Shell, Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) Woodside and SOCAR, where he managed and led large complex functional and regional project and operational teams in some of the world’s most challenging environments.
Ian Spenceley
BOROUGE APPOINTS NEW CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
Borouge Plc., a leading petrochemical company that provides innovative and differentiated polyolefin solutions, has appointed Dr. Hasan Karam as Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Borouge, effective May 1, 2023. Dr. Karam will succeed Louis Desal, who will be moving on from Borouge after six successful years leading business operations. Mr. Desal will assist Dr. Karam in a transitional capacity to ensure business continuity and enable seamless transition before returning to Borealis to pursue another role.
Dr. Karam has 29 yr of experience in refinery operations and has held senior positions in various capacities at ADNOC Refining, steering the growth and transformation of the organization’s performance-driven culture. In his most recent role as Vice President of Plant Operations at Ruwais Refinery, Dr. Karam was instrumental in developing the site to one of the largest refinery complexes in the world and contributing to the commercial performance and sustainable growth of its operations.
Dr. Hasan Karam
WIKA APPOINTS VIKRAM DHINGRA AS ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT, SALES
WIKA India (WIKA Instruments India Pvt. Ltd)—a wholly-owned subsidiary of WIKA Global (WIKA Alexander Wiegand SE & Co. KG, Germany)—has recently appointed Vikram Dhingra as Associate Vice President, Sales, with a focus on leading the company’s marketing outreach.
The global major, a specialist in precision component manufacturing associated with test and measurement markets, such as pressure, temperature, level, flow and force, for critical industrial applications has decided to focus on India for a major market penetration both domestically and as a base to neighboring countries.
Dhingra has had varied experience with major companies like Crompton Greaves, Larsen & Toubro, Kirloskar, BCH Electric Ltd., Polycab and many others. Always a part of core industrial manufacturers, he is expected to plan the channel intervention for new tech-enabled product lines of WIKA. The instrumentation major has been planning to double its turnover by 2025, which will need expert handling of its supply chain and future orders.
Vikram Dhingra
PERSONNEL CHANGES AT BASF
Tobias Dratt, President, North America, BASF Corporation, Florham Park, New Jersey, will assume responsibility for the Division Global Business Services, Ludwigshafen, Germany, effective May 1, 2023. Marc Ehrhardt, President, Global Business Services, Ludwigshafen, will, at the same time, assume responsibility for the Division North America, BASF Corporation, Florham Park, New Jersey.
Tobias Dratt
Marc Ehrhardt
CARBON CLEAN EXPANDS SENIOR TEAM WITH CHIEF DELIVERY AND SUPPLY CHAIN OFFICER
Leading carbon capture solutions provider, Carbon Clean, is continuing to expand its senior executive team with the appointment of Levi Quinn as Chief Delivery and Supply Chain Officer. Quinn will be responsible for building the company’s delivery capacity, including scaling the global supply chain for Carbon Clean’s product line, which includes fully modular and semi-modular carbon capture plants and proprietary solvents.
This is a new role in the company, which has experienced multifold growth in its project pipeline in the last 12 months. Increases are expected to continue as the company commercializes its breakthrough modular carbon capture technology, CycloneCC, and develops its Carbon Capture as a Service (CCaaS) offering. Earlier this month, Carbon Clean opened its U.S. HQ in Houston, Texas, and work is now underway to establish a significant base in North America, which will include developing a local supply chain.
Quinn was formerly Chief Operating Officer at medmix, a global leader in high-precision delivery devices across healthcare, consumer and industrial markets. He has extensive operational experience, having worked for Sulzer as Divisional COO, Baker Hughes as Global Supply Chain Leader, and GE Oil & Gas as Global Manufacturing Leader.
Levi Quinn
HIMA COMPLETES REGIONAL MANAGEMENT TEAM IN CHINA
HIMA has completed its regional management team in China: following the appointment of Yao Zhou as Managing Director of finance and administration in 2022, Kunji Wei joined the management board of HIMA China as General Manager and Legal Representative. Both Yao Zhou and Kunji Wei will work with the entire HIMA China team to drive business growth in China.
This appointment is in line with HIMA’s strategy to enhance customer proximity in key markets and expand its local sales, engineering and service set-up.
Zhou, who has more than 17 yr of leadership experience in various international companies, joined HIMA China in 2016 as HR Director and has expanded her role in finance and administration. She was appointed to the HIMA China Management Board in June 2022 and is responsible for finance and administration.
With a master's degree in control systems and a bachelor's degree in automation engineering, Wei has more than 18 yr of solid experience in the process industry, including engineering, product management and sales. As General Manager for HIMA China, Wei succeeds Peter Sieber, who managed HIMA’s China business from 2016–2022, and has now become Vice President Strategic Marketing for the HIMA Group.
Yao Zhou
Kunji Wei
PROCESS SERVICE SPECIALISTS NAMES RUSSELL GAUDIN AS VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES AND MARKETING
Process Service Specialists (PSS), a turnkey mechanical provider of turnaround solutions to the industrial, petrochemical and energy markets, has named Russell Gaudin as Vice President of sales and marketing.
Gaudin will be based at PSS’s corporate headquarters in Gonzales, Louisiana, and will be responsible for the company’s sales and pricing performance, while overseeing goals in safety, customer satisfaction and profitability. As a member of the executive leadership team, Gaudin will also be spearheading efforts in organic and new business growth by identifying new revenue outlets in existing and alternate industries.
Gaudin joins PSS with more than 25 yr of industrial construction experience, including roles as craftsman, management and business development. He previously worked as the Director of business development for both EXCEL USA and Merit Electrical Inc.
Russell Gaudin
AETHER FUELS NAMES COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY EXPERTS TO LEAD AMERICAS AND ASIA ENGINEERING TEAMS
Aether Fuels, a next-generation climate technology company, has named two veteran commercial fuel production technology experts to leadership roles, each as a Vice President of engineering. Sanjiv Dabee will lead Aether’s Americas-based engineering team and direct the engineering of projects in the region, and Steve Liang will lead the Singapore-based engineering team and direct the engineering of projects in Asia.
Aether aims to decarbonize the aviation and shipping industries with affordable sustainable fuels made from flexible combinations of waste biomass, biogenic CO2 and clean hydrogen. The company’s solution combines novel flow sheets and plant configurations, proprietary catalysts and breakthrough equipment to dramatically reduce CAPEX and the cost of input materials. Production processes are optimized for ultra-high yield and efficiencies, cutting costs even further.
Dabee and Liang bring more than 60 yr of combined experience in biomass conversion, gasification, syngas production and liquids synthesis to Aether. Their specialized expertise is engineering development of pilot and large-scale gasification-to-fuel plants, from initial design and startup through full production. They join Aether Co-Founder and CEO Conor Madigan to deploy Aether’s innovative technology in commercial-scale plants in the Americas and Asia.
Dabee joins Aether from Fluor, where he spent more than two decades in the company’s energy solutions business, most recently as Fellow and Director of process engineering. While there, he served as a key technical leader in developing more than $10 B of fuel project facilities currently in commercial operation, and numerous pilot-scale projects to deploy new fuel production technologies. He began his career at gas-to-liquids pioneer Sasol in South Africa. Dabee holds BS and MS degrees in chemical engineering from the University of Cape Town in South Africa. He is a member of the Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering Advisory Board at the University of California, Irvine, and holds several patents related to syngas technology.
Liang has directed the development of currently operational gasification-to-fuel projects, collectively amounting to a capital investment of more than $40 B throughout his career. The projects include 56 gasifier trains. Previously, he was General Manager of the world’s largest gasification-to-liquids business unit, where he built and made profitable the Ningxia CTL facility in China, one of the largest Fischer-Tropsch plants in the world. In addition, he co-led the successful construction of the US-China Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Project located in Ordos, China. When completed in 2014, it was the largest CCS project operating in China. Over time, Liang has successfully piloted and transferred multiple new process and equipment technologies into mass production. Liang holds a BS degree in engineering from the Daqing Petroleum Institute in China, and an MBA from the China Europe International Business School. He is a prolific inventor of new technologies and was awarded the Gold Medal for “Outstanding Patented Invention” by the World Intellectual Property Organization in 2012 for innovations related to fuel production technology.
Sanjiv Dabee
Steve Liang
HAMID SARSHAR NAMED PRESIDENT OF TESCO CONTROLS
TESCO Controls, a United Flow Technologies (UFT) company, one of the nation’s largest systems integrators in the water/wastewater industry, has named Hamid Sarshar President of the organization. Sarshar will lead the 50-yr-old company into the next strategic phase of growth and innovation within the UFT platform.
Sarshar joined UFT in October 2022 as EVP of Operations, focused on operational optimization efforts at TESCO. He has more than 20 yr of experience working for OEMs across multiple industries. Prior to joining UFT, Sarshar was Vice President and General Manager of Flowserve’s $550-MM Global Isolation Valve business for 4 yr. At Flowserve, Sarshar led more than 1,500 people and nine production locations worldwide, growing operating income more than 24%, improving on-time delivery, and establishing AGILE product development for Flowserve’s most strategic R&D projects.
Prior to Flowserve, he was a senior executive with General Electric Oil & Gas, last serving as Executive Director of Offshore Engineering, where he led a team of 200 subsea drilling system engineers in seven countries responsible for GE’s $800-MM offshore business unit. Sarshar earned his BS and MS degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Washington and holds 13 patents.
Hamid Sarshar
PERSONNEL CHANGE AT BASF
Ketan Joshi, Senior Vice President, Petrochemicals Asia-Pacific, BASF East Asia Regional Headquarters Ltd., Hong Kong, will, as President, assume responsibility for the Intermediates Division in Ludwigshafen, Germany, effective March 1, 2023.
Dr. Ketan Joshi
AMPP NAMES ALAN THOMAS AS ITS CEO
The Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP), a global nonprofit representing more than 32,000 members in the materials, corrosion and coatings industries, has selected Alan Thomas as its new chief executive officer (CEO), effective April 1.
Before this appointment, Thomas served as the CEO for GRIDIRON LLC, where he oversaw the acquisition and total integration of a lower middle market SaaS company, doubling the size of the business. In 2014, Thomas launched Array Coating Technology LLC, a full-service industrial blasting, coating, powder coating and metal finishing company focused on the subsea oil and gas sector, where he cultivated strategic partnerships with industry leaders and customers. A past International Facility Management Association (IFMA) Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, he also was responsible for developing strategic alliances and channel partners globally for the international nonprofit.
Thomas earned his BA degree in christian education from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and an MBA in finance from Tulane University. He also is a former member of the U.S. Coast Guard, where he served for 6 yr and received the U.S. Coast Guard Achievement Medal for distinguished leadership and exceptional performance of duty.
Thomas succeeds Robert Chalker, who has announced his retirement after a nearly 40-yr distinguished career that included 13 yr with AMPP.
The Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP) is a global community of professionals focused on the protection of assets and the performance of industrial and natural materials. AMPP was established in 2021 following a merger between NACE International and SSPC: The Society for Protective Coatings. The new association unites 145 yr of corrosion control and protective coatings expertise and service to industry and members worldwide. Today, AMPP is the world’s largest corrosion control and protective coatings organization, serving more than 30,000 members in 130 countries. AMPP is headquartered in the U.S. with offices in Houston and Pittsburgh, and additional offices in Brazil, Canada, China, Dubai (training center), Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and the UK.
Alan Thomas
DENNIS K. ECK NAMED 2023 AMERICAN WELDING SOCIETY PRESIDENT
The American Welding Society (AWS) has inducted its new President, Dennis K. Eck. Eck has been in the welding supply industry more than 40 yr and has been active as a member and leader in the AWS Houston section and District 18 for 35 yr.
Elected to serve as Vice President of AWS from 2018–2022, Eck will be inducted as President on February 24, 2023, and serve for the next year. He was formerly Vice President and Partner of National Alloy & Equipment in Houston, Texas, which was sold to Praxair in 2011. He retired from Praxair in 2020 after 10 yr of leadership throughout the Gulf Coast. He is currently President and Owner of Diversified Services & Solutions LLC, serving as a consultant for independent welding supply retailers and small fabrication shops.
His involvement with Skills USA, the Craft Training Center, and AG Mechanics in Texas, along with several other organizations that serve the same purpose, allows him to focus on the next generation of leaders.
The American Welding Society is a worldwide authority in the development of standards, certifications and educational programming for the welding, allied joining and cutting community. The not-for-profit organization is committed to connecting the welding industry to its extensive collection of resources, informing the industry of technological advancements and developing the next generation of welding professionals with the help of the AWS Foundation. AWS serves over 60,000 members worldwide, is composed of 22 Districts with 250 Sections and Student Chapters, and includes more than 1,500 volunteers in over 200 technical committees, subcommittees and task groups.
Dennis K. Eck
AAB NAMES ANDREW GREGORY DIVISION CFO FOR COMPANY’S NEMA MOTORS DIVISION
Andrew Gregory has joined ABB as Chief Financial Officer for the company’s NEMA Motors Division. In this role, he is responsible for supporting the division’s financial long-range plan and ensuring the financial feasibility of the division’s strategy and its implementation. Gregory joins ABB after more than 20 yr in the pool, filtration and industrial products industry, most recently with the second-largest distributor of pool equipment and supplies in the U.S. He succeeds Larry Johnston, who has assumed the role of Controller for the division’s U.S. region.
Gregory earned a BS degree in finance and international business from Northeastern University and MS degree in accounting from the University of Connecticut. He is a Certified Management Accountant and will be based in Fort Smith, Arkansas, U.S.
Andrew Gregory
VICTAULIC PROMOTES GARY MOORE TO EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER
Victaulic®, a leading manufacturer of mechanical pipe-joining systems, has announced the promotion of Gary Moore to Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer.
Moore began his Victaulic career 35 yr ago in sales for Canada and progressed to the role of President of Victaulic Company of Canada Ltd. He later joined the executive team at Victaulic’s U.S. Corporate Headquarters and served as the Executive Vice President responsible for building and driving the global sales team.
Throughout his career, Moore has demonstrated his cross-functional prowess through focused sales strategies, product development and innovation, and targeted marketing and customer-facing services, such as Virtual Design and Construction and Piping System Design. As CRO, he will be responsible for uniting sales with product development and innovation as a center of excellence to drive revenue growth.
Gary Moore
CONVAL APPOINTS SCOTT ALLARD AS PRESIDENT
Scott Allard has been appointed as President of Conval Inc. Allard comes to Conval with a wide range of experience, garnered from a number of different valve manufacturers in managerial roles ranging from engineering to general management to product/project management and sales. He replaces Don Curtin, who has retired after 25 yr of service.
Allard holds a BS degree in mechanical engineering from the University of New Hampshire. His professional focus has been in engineered flow control products for specialized end user markets, such as the U.S. Department of Defense/U.S. Navy, power, oil and gas. His previous experience includes Portland Valve, Crosby Valve, Hunt Valve, Consolidated Valve and General Dynamics Electric Boat.
Conval is a designer and manufacturer of gate, globe, check and ball valves for high pressure/temperature, severe service applications in power, refining, chemical, petrochemical, pulp and paper, and other end user markets.
Scott Allard
ICE INTEGRITY APOINTS NEW HEAD OF MAERKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS
ICR Integrity (ICR), the technology-enabled provider of specialist maintenance, inspection and integrity solutions, has appointed Gemma Neal as Head of marketing and communications.
In her new role, Neal will implement a comprehensive group-wide global strategy to support ICR globally while also driving its initiatives in the energy transition. With more than 18 yr of strategic marketing and communications experience, Neal has worked across multiple sectors, including renewable energy, oil and gas, marine, hospitality, education and media. She previously served as Head of marketing at Vysus Group, leading the global rebranding from Lloyd’s Register Energy and working across the business to support international business streams.
Neal’s multi-industry experience fits the company’s growth aspirations in core markets, including green energy, oil and gas, defense, nuclear, process industries, power, utilities and infrastructure.
The company operates in global locations, including Europe, MENA, Australia, ASEAN and North America.
Gemma Neal
AMPP WELCOMES NEW CHAIR OF ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Professor Amir Eliezer is now Chair of the board of directors of the Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP), a global nonprofit representing corrosion and coatings professionals and industries in 130 countries. His term began on January 1, 2023.
“It’s a great honor to serve as AMPP board chair, especially having arrived from a small country such as Israel to represent a global society now, and also serve as a member of the AMPP merger transition team,” said Dr. Eliezer. “I’m excited to volunteer and lead the AMPP board following my 20 years of active leadership roles, and I’m honored to be the first elected AMPP board of directors chair.”
Dr. Eliezer has held various leadership positions with the organization, including NACE European Area Chair in 2015. He is involved in international industries and serves as Director of the Corrosion Research Center at Shamoon College of Engineering, Israel. Dr. Eliezer is the recipient of the 2013 NACE International H.H. Uhlig Award and has presented at more than 150 seminars and lectures, been published in more than 220 scientific publications, and played a crucial role in AMPP's involvement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Network of Experts Program.
Said Dr. Eliezer, “The new AMPP has just celebrated its second anniversary, so now is the time and opportunity to focus on a global strategy to create added value serving our members’ needs, engagement, feedback, and ideas. I see AMPP as providing our current and future members with opportunities for even more global networking, knowledge, practical tools, and skills to influence and be part of an advanced, sustainable world.
“In my role, I look forward to working with the AMPP board and talented staff to increase our outreach, certification, and accreditation value for our members based on global impact, advocacy, and legislative tools. In addition, I plan to increase our diversity and expand the awareness of our awards programs, including the AMPP 2023 Awards, which will be presented in Denver at the AMPP Annual Conference and Expo.”
Dr. Amir Eliezer
FOUR ADDITIONAL DIRECTORS AS SERVOMEX UNDERGOES MAJOR REORGANIZATION
Four new top-level appointments have been implemented at Servomex following a reorganization of the company.
In an effort to streamline processes, pursue operational excellence and execute the outcomes of its internal strategic review, the global experts in gas analysis now have four new directors overseeing commercial, sustainable, strategy and sales operations.
Martin Cox has been appointed as the new Commercial Director, responsible for all business units, research, manufacturing engineering and product compliance. Cox has been with the company for 40 yr, starting as a 16-yr-old electrical engineering apprentice and working across multiple departments and countries over the years. Cox and his management team will be tasked with monitoring and responding to major market changes within the industry.
Mike Proctor is taking on the new role of Director of Sustainability and Strategic Projects, and will spearhead the delivery of the company’s net-zero aspirations. He has been an active leader in the division for some time, and his remit also includes ensuring the company’s products and applications can better assist Servomex customers to maximize the efficiency of their operations and improve emissions to address the growing global demand for cleaner air.
Sang Won Park will take on the role of Global Sales Director, overseeing the market-to-order process. Park has been with Servomex for 6 yr and has risen from the Asia sales team to the IP&E business leader. He will undertake his new global position in Asia to further enhance Servomex’s offering to the region and help align the company’s output to the needs of its existing and potential customers.
Sarah Chalk has been promoted to Director of Strategy and Marketing, and will ensure that Servomex meets its strategic objectives and develops its expertise. Chalk has worked for Servomex for 20 yr and began her career as an electrical engineer. She has worked in Asia and the U.S. and is well-placed to drive key objectives for the company as it strives to maximize its operational efficiency.
All of these directors will report to Servomex’s President, Andy Cowan.
From left: Mike Proctor, Sang Won Park, Sarah Chalk and Martin Cox.
ERIKS NORTH AMERICA APPOINTS NEW CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
ERIKS North America, a leading distributor of fluid and material conveyance solutions for industrial customers, has appointed Michael Pastore as its Chief Operating Officer (COO).
Pastore brings more than 20 yr of industrial distribution experience to ERIKS North America and has held executive leadership positions across multiple functional areas—he most recently served as Vice President, Operations at Kaman Distribution Group. Throughout his career, Pastore has championed excellence in supply chain, branch operations and IT, and brings a proven track record of improving operating efficiencies and service levels.
As COO, Pastore will lead all manufacturing, quality, supply chain, EHS and customer service activities at ERIKS North America. He will also be responsible for setting broad operational goals for the organization, implementing best practices, optimizing inventory management and improving productivity.
ICR INTEGRITY ANNOUNCES NEW GROUP DIRECTOR
ICR Integrity (ICR), the technology-enabled provider of specialist maintenance, inspection and integrity solutions, has appointed Ross McHardy as Group Director.
McHardy will focus on supporting the global growth and diversification of ICR’s repair and maintenance business. He brings a strong technical track record and range of experience in senior roles for a number of oil and gas operators, including TAQA, EnQuest and service company EnerMech, where he headed up the Europe and Africa businesses. His cross-sector knowledge will reinforce ICR’s exciting and ambitious growth plans, including working extensively with the company’s key partners globally.
With more than 30 yr of experience in providing innovative solutions for a range of industries worldwide, ICR offers clients world-class repair and integrity solutions, providing greater asset uptime and reliability while saving time and cost compared to traditional repair methods. In 2022 the company significantly increased its global headcount and posted end-of-year results showing a 12% increase in earnings.
The company operates in global locations including Europe, MENA, Australia, ASEAN and North America.
Ross McHardy
AESOLUTIONS APPOINTS KEN WHITTLE AS SENIOR DIRECTOR FOR PROCESS SAFETY
aeSolutions, a consulting, engineering and systems integration company, has appointed Ken Whittle to the position of senior Director for Process Safety. Whittle will lead the company’s Process Safety business in value creation and business growth and will report directly to the company’s president, Ken O’Malley.
As Senior Director and a member of the company’s senior leadership team, Whittle will have top, overall accountability for the performance of the company’s Process Safety business. He will work directly with the company’s Plant Protection Systems business leader to guide clients in protecting their employees, their communities and the environment. Whittle’s 30+ yr of leadership roles in environment, health, safety and sustainability (EHS&S)/operations comprise experience with mechanical integrity, maintenance excellence, mergers and acquisitions, and leadership coaching and mentoring. Additionally, he has held increasingly senior and complex roles at the corporate and business levels, at both large and small upstream and downstream petrochemical facilities.
Ken Whittle
QUORUM SOFTWARE APPOINTS JAN MANNING AS CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER
Quorum Software, a global software leader dedicated to the energy industry, has named Jan Manning as Chief Information Officer. In this role, she will be responsible for leading Quorum’s information technology and security organization to ensure the needs of both internal and external customers are met.
Prior to joining Quorum, Manning served as Chief Information Officer at several other reputable software and technology companies, including Forescout Technologies Inc., DATASCAN and Gemalto. As CIO of these companies, her duties included implementing corporate application and infrastructure standards and eliminating technology inefficiencies, building proactive customer managed services teams, overseeing IT operations and security, leading strategic planning and vendor negotiations, and much more.
Manning earned her BS degree in business management and computer science from the University of Maryland Global Campus.
Jan Manning
BAKER HUGHES NAMES GANESH RAMASWAMY AS EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF INDUSTRAIL & ENERGY TECHNOLOGY
Baker Hughes has named Ganesh Ramaswamy as Executive Vice President (EVP) of the Industrial & Energy Technology (IET) business segment, effective January 16. Ramaswamy’s appointment is another step in the Company’s strategic transformation—announced in September 2022—to simplify its operations, enhance profitability and drive growth in the rapidly evolving energy and industrial markets.
Ramaswamy brings more than 25 yr of diversified experience across industrial sectors. He most recently served as President of Global Services for Johnson Controls, where he led the multinational conglomerate’s transformation in digital services and drove significant year-over-year growth in services and sustainability solutions. Ramaswamy previously held multiple business leadership roles in Danaher, a diversified manufacturer of industrial products and services, as well as holding product and general management roles for multiple international companies.
With Ramaswamy’s appointment, Rod Christie, EVP of IET, will be moving to a strategic adviser role before departing the company in 2Q 2023.
Ganesh Ramaswamy
BECKHOFF USA NAMES DAYMON THOMPSON AS DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT MANAGEMENT
Beckhoff USA has promoted Daymon Thompson to Director of Product Management. As a longstanding, key member of the company's Product Management team, Thompson has advocated for innovation in manufacturing through advanced automation, IIoT and machine-learning technologies. He will leverage his significant experience to lead new product initiatives across the entire Beckhoff portfolio. Based out of the company's Denver-area office, he reports to President Kevin Barker.
Thompson has achieved more than two decades of success in automation and industrial-controls applications. After beginning his career specializing in CNC technologies, he spent 12 yr in the New Technologies Group at DePuy Synthes, a multinational medical-device manufacturer, focusing on R&D while based in the U.S. and Switzerland. Thompson joined Beckhoff in 2011 as an applications engineer in Colorado before quickly taking on the role of North American Product Manager for TwinCAT automation software.
Prior to his promotion to Director of Product Management, Thompson has served as Senior Software Product Manager at Beckhoff USA since 2020, overseeing the growing team of TwinCAT experts as the software platform adds more diverse capabilities. Thompson’s new role will enable him to further drive adoption of new automation technology across all product categories and industries.
Thompson also oversees the U.S.-based Advanced Applications Group, which focuses on application proof-of-concepts and prototypes to give customers with complex projects a faster path to adoption and the utmost confidence. Aligning the Advanced Applications Group with the product management team improves understanding of customer needs, helps set product development priorities and optimizes product launch roadmaps. As a result, Beckhoff can deliver innovative solutions at the right time to help machine builders, system integrators and equipment end users across industries gain and maintain competitive advantages.
Thompson earned two BS degrees from Regis University in Denver, one in computer science and one in computer information systems.
Daymon Thompson
PROSEP ANNOUNCES TWO KEY TECHNICAL APPOINTMENTS
ProSep, the provider of proprietary products that allow the global industry value chain to optimize efficiency while lowering chemical and water use, cleaning contaminated water streams, and capturing valuable minerals and metals, has recently strengthened its team with the announcement of two key technical appointments.
Elena Labrador and Andrei Zhorau have recently joined ProSep as Process Engineers at its Houston, Texas-based headquarters. Dr. Labrador and Zhorau will focus on multiple ongoing product development and deployment initiatives, including water treatment, recovery of critical minerals and metals, and carbon capture.
Dr. Labrador earned her PhD in chemistry and previously held roles within Chevron, Du Pont, Dow and Heritage Environmental. Her deep innovation and process-based background spanning more than 25 yr differentiate her from the group primarily composed of engineers.
With a chemical engineering degree and previous on-field experience in the energy industry, Zhorau is ready for ProSep's fast-paced, dynamic environment and responsibilities that will extend beyond the proposals department.
Dr. Elena Labrador
Andrei Zhorau
VMA ANNOUNCES NEW LEADERSHIP
The Valve Manufacturers Association of America (VMA) membership has elected the 2022–2023 Board of Directors, following the announcement of the slate of candidates at its Annual Meeting, which took place in September. The VMA’s Chairman of the Board for the 2022–2023 year is Matt Thiel, president of AUMA Actuators Inc.
Andy Duffy, Vice President Sales, Emerson/ASCO, will serve as the 2022–2023 Vice Chairman of the Board and Treasurer. Other members of the Executive Committee include: Nathan Brunell, Product Line General Manager, Baker Hughes; Kirk Wilson, President, Flow Control Division, Flowserve; and Ron Warren, President and COO of Bray International Inc., who serves as Immediate Past Chair.
In addition to the Executive Committee, the following VMA members are returning as Board members:
- Alejandro Alcala, Senior Vice-President, Crane Co.
- Mark Claffey, President, Trillium Valves USA
- Danilo Garcia, President, RF Valves Inc.
- Seth Guterman, CEO, American Valve
- David Loula, Director, Global Products and Markets, ITT Engineered Valves
- Kevin McKown, Regional President, Americas – IMI Critical Engineering
- Kevin J. Tinsley, Senior Vice President Global Operations, Valmet
- Rob Velan, Executive Vice-President, MRO & Aftermarket and Vice-Chairman of the Board, Velan Valve Corporation
- Brian Wright, President/CEO, A-T Controls
The Board of Directors also approved Andrew Masullo, Senior General Manager of Valves Division, Curtiss Wright, who was elected to a 3-yr term.
Founded in 1938, the Valve Manufacturers Association of America is a trade association that represents the interests of nearly 100 North American manufacturers of valves, actuators and controls. Collectively, members account for approximately 80% of the total industrial valve shipments out of U.S. facilities.
SEEQ APPOINTS GEORGE SKARYAK AS CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER
Seeq Corporation, a leader in manufacturing and IIoT advanced analytics software, has appointed George Skaryak as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), a new member of the Seeq executive leadership team. Skaryak will lead all aspects of the company’s go-to-market, sales and business development, focusing on new revenue opportunities.
Skaryak brings more than 30 yr of experience leading large teams and driving growth across many industries. Previously, Skaryak served as EVP of Worldwide Sales for Cyara, a leading customer experience assurance platform, where he was responsible for sales growth and leadership. Additionally, he has held various sales leadership roles at large and high-growth software companies, including IBM, 41st Parameter, Monster and MetricStream.
Drawing from his broad industry experience, Skaryak will help further Seeq’s revenue growth as its first CRO, advancing the company’s mission of empowering manufacturers to optimize business outcomes with advanced analytics. Skaryak holds a BS degree from California Polytechnic State University and is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
George Skaryak
IMPLICO GROUP REPOSITIONS ITS MANAGEMENT TEAM
Implico Group, a global digitization specialist for the energy industry, has repositioned its management team by naming Rolf Adam as its new CEO. Adam succeeds Tim Hoffmeister, who has left the company.
Adam will assume responsibility for the Implico Group as CEO with immediate effect, and will manage the company together with Dr. Volker Braun as CTO. Adam is a proven expert at the interface of digitization and cloudification with many years of international management experience in the energy and IT industries. Most recently, he was Senior Vice President and General Manager for the DACH countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) at Hitachi Solutions.
With the new management team, the Implico Group aims to further drive the internationalization and digitalization of logistics processes beyond the energy sector in the context of SAP industry solutions. Furthermore, the company will keep a strong focus on the cloudification of the terminal management market.
Rolf Adam
CONG THANH NGUYEN NAMED BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANGER FOR VIETNAM FOR NIKKISO CLEAN ENERGY AND INDUSTRIAL GASES GROUP
Nikkiso Cryogenic Industries’ Clean Energy & Industrial Gases Group, a part of the Nikkiso Co. Ltd. (Japan) group of companies, has named Cong Thanh Nguyen as Business Development Manager for its Cryogenic Equipment & Solutions market serving Vietnam.
Based in Hanoi, Vietnam, Nguyen will be on the front line of the region’s growing industrial gas and LNG business, providing solutions from the group’s industrial products line and offering strong service and local support. He will be responsible for expanding the brand awareness of the group to a broad range of local customers. Additionally, this will complete three major business lines of Nikkiso in Vietnam besides the Aerospace and Medical divisions.
Nguyen previously served as Business Development Manager for Vietnam Industrial Gas. His responsibilities included collaborating with numerous departments to develop and implement improvement strategies. He earned an MA degree in international business from the University of Greenwich, England (Singapore Campus).
ICR ANNOUNCES NEW SENIOR APPOINTMENT TO HEAD UP INSPECTION AND INTEGRITY DIVISION
ICR Integrity (ICR), global provider of specialist repair, inspection and integrity solutions to a diverse range of industries worldwide, has strengthened its leadership team with the appointment of Antonio Caraballo as Director.
Caraballo joins ICR to support the global growth of ICR’s inspection and integrity management business and reinforce the multi-skilled engineering team. In his previous role he led the multidiscipline integrity management division for INEOS FPS while also acting as Pipelines Technical Authority. Caraballo has a strong track record of developing transformational change in organizations and processes.
He will drive forward ICR’s market-leading products, heading up the newly launched composite NDT inspection technology, an industry first, and providing operators with the assurance in the integrity and long-term performance of composite repairs. This leads to their life extension and reduces waste while avoiding high carbon emissions associated with alternatives such as steel replacement or welded sleeves installation.
Caraballo, who began his studies in his native Colombia, holds an MS degree in pipeline engineering from the Cranfield University and in materials science from the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. He has worked in project and integrity engineering roles both in the UK and abroad for diverse companies, such as GE Oil & Gas, Wood Group and BP, and is a Fellow of the Energy Institute and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
Antonio Caraballo
BASF’S SUPERVISORY BOARD CONFIRMS MARTIN BRÜDERMULLER AS CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS AND APPOINTS DIRK ELVERMANN AND CFO
The Supervisory Board of BASF SE has extended the appointment of Dr. Martin Brudermüller as BASF’s Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors until the end of the 2024 Annual Shareholders’ Meeting—Dr. Brudermüller’s appointment was originally scheduled to end in 2023. Brudermüller has been Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF SE since 2018 and a board member since 2006.
In addition, the Supervisory Board has appointed Dr. Dirk Elvermann as the new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Chief Digital Officer. He succeeds Dr. Hans-Ulrich Engel, whose mandate ends at the closing of the 2023 Annual Shareholders’ Meeting. Dr. Engel has been a member of the Board of Executive Directors since 2008, CFO of BASF SE since 2011 and, since 2018, Vice Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors.
Dr. Elvermann has been with the company since 2003 and has been leading the Corporate Finance division since 2019. Previously, he was, among other positions, CFO of Wintershall Holding GmbH and Managing Director of BASF in Poland.
Dr. Dirk Elvermann
NIKKISO CLEAN ENERGY AND INDUSTRIAL GASES GROUP NAMES HENRY HUI AS CORPORATE VP OF HYDROGEN STRATEGY AND ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE
Nikkiso Cryogenic Industries’ Clean Energy & Industrial Gases Group, a part of the Nikkiso Co. Ltd. (Japan) group of companies, has promoted Henry Hui to Corporate Vice President of Hydrogen Strategy and Energy Infrastructure.
Hui will continue to inspire a strategic vision in his new role for the Group and set action plans to accelerate the deployment of Nikkiso's cryogenic, process and turbomachinery technologies. His efforts will enhance customer growth in the global clean energy market and foster collaborations with government agencies, trade associations, consortium, partnerships and all CE&IG functional units and regional companies. In addition, Hui will be responsible for heading up a total engineering team in Houston, Texas, U.S., for the newly created Energy Infrastructure and Strategic Projects (NESP) functional unit to better serve customers with Nikkiso's world-class equipment, service and solutions.
Hui has comprehensive experience in business development, value engineering and project delivery, along with 25 yr of industry knowledge and achievements in the energy and industrial gas sectors. He joined the Integrated Cryogenic Solutions functional unit 1 yr ago and has been instrumental in the recent success of Nikkiso's Hydrogen Refueling Station business line. Hui earned a BS degree in chemical engineering and an MS degree in engineering from North Carolina State University. He is also a registered PE and a certified PMP.
Cryogenic Industries Inc. (now a member of Nikkiso Co. Ltd.) member companies manufacture and service engineered cryogenic gas processing equipment (pumps, turboexpanders, heat exchangers, etc.) and process plants for industrial gases, natural gas liquefaction (LNG), hydrogen liquefaction (LH2) and organic Rankine cycle for waste heat recovery. Founded more than 50 yr ago, Cryogenic Industries is the parent company of ACD, Nikkiso Cryo, Nikkiso Integrated Cryogenic Solutions, Cosmodyne and Cryoquip and a commonly controlled group of approximately 20 operating entities.
Henry Hui
JŌB INDUSTRIAL SERVICES APPOINTS DARIN WOOD AS DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING
Jōb Industrial Services (Jōb), an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) company serving the oil and gas, power, materials and chemical industries, has appointed Darin Wood as Director of engineering.
Based in Houston, Texas, Wood will lead all engineering department managers and will oversee all company engineering efforts in addition to staff hiring, training and mentoring activities. He will also be responsible for managing technical projects, and prioritizing and executing programs to deliver solutions and meet performance targets.
Wood holds a degree in chemical engineering from Colorado State University and has more than 30 yr of experience in industrial plant engineering, design, maintenance, operation, project management and project implementation.
Darin Wood
ENERMECH PROMOTES ALISON HAZELL TO MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR
EnerMech has bolstered its senior management team with the promotion of Alison Hazell into the newly created position of Marketing and Communications Director.
Based at the firm’s Aberdeen headquarters, Hazell’s new role has been confirmed at a pivotal time for the business as it progresses its strategic plan that will drive sustainability and growth, delivering value to clients in both new and existing end markets and geographies.
Hazell joined EnerMech in 2017 and combines business knowledge with more than 20 yr of industry experience. Previously, she held senior client service positions at Denvir Marketing, Immediate Media Co. and BBC Magazines, and more recently founded and directed her own marketing agency, delivering marketing campaigns for the energy industry.
Hazell’s promotion follows Kenny Anderson’s promotion to Global Strategy Director earlier in the year.
Alison Hazell
BECKHOFF USA APPOINTS JAKE SCHIEFFER VP OF SALES
Jake Schieffer is taking on a new role within Beckhoff USA as Vice President of sales. This promotion results from Schieffer’s significant successes as Regional Director—Midwest. In the newly created national position, he will continue to promote business alignment throughout the sales organization and accelerate growth across the U.S. Based at the Beckhoff USA headquarters office in the Minneapolis, Minnesota area, Schieffer reports to President Kevin Barker. After Schieffer’s promotion, Steve Boelte was selected to fill the position of Regional Director—Midwest.
During his automation industry experience, Schieffer has focused on driving customer engagement across a broad spectrum of industries, applications and suppliers. He began his career at Rockwell Automation in sales and engineering roles, served as Sales Manager—Services for EESCO Distribution and then became District Sales Manager for Kaman Automation. Since joining Beckhoff USA in 2020, Schieffer has expanded sales and engineering teams to deliver increasingly better experiences for a wide range of customers throughout the Midwest.
Schieffer earned a BS degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He also holds an MBA from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
Jake Schieffer
FULKRUM BOLSTERS INDIAN OFFICE WITH APPOINTMENT OF MIDDLE EAST INDUSTRY EXPERT
Fulkrum, a leading provider of inspection, expediting, auditing and technical staffing to the energy industry, has appointed Wilson Chettiar as the new Country Manager for India, further strengthening the group’s strategic expansion into key global markets.
With more than a decade of experience working in the oil and gas industry across both onshore and offshore projects, Chettiar brings a wealth of business development, strategic recruitment and market intelligence expertise to Fulkrum. He joins Fulkrum with extensive knowledge of the Middle East and APAC regions, as well as a strong record of accomplishment in the execution of technical staffing, global mobility and strategic project planning, reinforcing the existing regional teams.
As the Country Manager for India, Chettiar will manage all ongoing and upcoming projects within the region. In addition to his professional accomplishments, he has also achieved a Post Graduate degree in Business Management and a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Mumbai University.
Wilson Chettiar
SUNDYNE APPOINTS VICTORIA MOSHASHVILI DIRECTOR OF CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT AND STRATEGIC ANALYSIS
Victoria Moshashvili has joined Sundyne, a global leader in the design and manufacture of mission critical pumps and compressors, as Director of corporate development and strategic analysis. In this role, she will work with Sundyne’s management team to accelerate the company’s growth.
Moshashvili comes to Sundyne from Schindler Elevator Corp., where she served as Head of strategy and business analytics. Prior to Schindler Corp, Moshashvili provided counsel to senior management on strategy, operations and organizational issues at numerous companies, including Alcoa Inc., Ansell Healthcare, Lucent Technologies and Bain & Company. Moshashvili earned her MBA in finance from the Columbia School of Business, as well as an MS degree in civil engineering and a BS degree in engineering from Columbia’s School of Engineering & Applied Science.
Victoria Moshashvili
LOUISE TRICOIRE NAMED VICE PRESIDENT OF TOTALENERGIES MARINE FUELS
Louise Tricoire has been named Vice President of TotalEnergies Marine Fuels, replacing outgoing VP Jérôme Leprince-Ringuet, who leaves to assume a new role within the TotalEnergies organization in Paris.
Tricoire arrives following a highly successful 20-yr career with TotalEnergies, in which she has built a strong track record across numerous key positions, including VP roles in commercial development, and strategy and ventures, in the fields of LNG, fuel marketing and other downstream marketing activities.
Since 2019, she has been active in reducing the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of TotalEnergies’ assets, which is at the heart of TotalEnergies’ strategy.
In 2021, Tricoire was appointed VP Customer Line CO2 in the newly created OneTech Branch of TotalEnergies, building on all TotalEnergies’ consolidated technical expertise to accelerate the development and implementation of the best solutions to decarbonize its sites, as well as to scale up the technical team dedicated to TotalEnergies’ carbon capture and storage development.
Tricoire began her career in 1997 as a consultant at PriceWaterhouseCoopers and is a graduate of Centrale Paris’ engineering school in France.
Louise Tricoire
SIEMENS ENERGY AG SUPERVISORY APPOINTS TWO NEW EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBERS
Following the new organizational structure of Siemens Energy, the supervisory board of Siemens Energy AG has appointed two new executive board members for Siemens Energy. Effective November 1, Anne-Laure de Chammard will be responsible for the Transformation of Industry Business Area. Vinod Philip, currently the Head of Strategy and Chief Technology Officer, will be responsible for the Management of Global Functions (such as IT, procurement, innovation and project execution, among others), effective October 1.
As CEO of ENGIE Energy Solutions Intl., de Chammard is now responsible for ENGIE's entire Energy Solutions business outside of France, with sales of around €4 B and 20,000 employees in 20 countries. A French citizen, de Chammard holds an MS degree in engineering from Ecole Polytechnique and from Ecole des Ponts, and a master’s degree from Harvard University. She has extensive global management experience in the areas of industrial and energy services, strategy, innovation, research and technology, and was responsible for public-private partnerships at the French Ministry of Energy and the Environment.
Born in India, Philip has worked in the energy industry for almost 25 yr. Prior to his current role, he held various global management roles within Siemens AG, including CTO for the Power & Gas Division and Head of the Service Business Unit for Power Generation. He has comprehensive experience in strategy, energy services, innovation, and research and technology. Philip is an American citizen and holds an MS degree in materials science and a master’s degree in international business.
As announced during its May Capital Market Day, the expansion of the management board team is associated with an extensive reorganization of Siemens Energy as of October 1st. The new group structure is designed to significantly reduce complexity, create flatter hierarchies, shorten decision-making processes, improve customer interfaces and go-to-market, and sharpen accountability within the organization.
Anne-Laure de Chammard
Vinod Philip
QUORUM SOFTWARE ANNOUNCES EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP CHANGES
Quorum Software, a global software leader dedicated to the energy industry, has announced that Chief Executive Officer Gene Austin will be stepping down from this position to become the company’s Chairman of the board of directors—President Paul Langenbahn will succeed Austin and serve as both President and CEO. This transition will be effective October 1.
Langenbahn has served as President of Quorum since May 2021, where he is primarily responsible for overseeing the company’s worldwide customer-facing operations. He also has an extensive background in senior leadership roles in general management, sales and professional services for global enterprise technology providers. This includes President of the Commerce business unit of NCR Corp. and President of the hospitality division of Radiant Systems.
NEW SALES AND COUNTRY MANAGER FOR HIMA FRANCE
Guillaume Mbow has become the new Sales and Country Manager for HIMA France. In his role, he will further expand partnerships with customers from the process and railway technology industries in France and parts of West Africa.
With this appointment, the provider of safety-related automation solutions is following its strategy of enhancing customer proximity in key markets and driving the global expansion of its sales and service presence. The company sees a growing demand for safety-related automation solutions in West Africa.
Mbow will be responsible for further expanding the business in France and the French-speaking countries in West Africa. A recruitment campaign is underway to better support existing and new customers in France with more engineering and services personnel.
The graduated Engineer in Informatics and Electronics has more than 20 yr of experience in the process industry and has worked in the areas of project management, instrumentation and global customer management, among others. In addition, he has relevant knowledge in the field of functional safety, including HIMA’s safety solutions.
Guillaume Mbow
N2 SOLUTIONS APPOINTS CHRISTOPHER FONTENOT AS QHSE MANAGER
N2 Solutions (N2S), a leading supplier of nitrogen services to the energy, industrial and utility industries, has appointed Christopher Fontenot as QHSE Manager.
Based in N2S’s Broussard, Louisiana facility, Fontenot will oversee QHSE compliance, policies and training for N2S. He will also be responsible for ensuring compliance with national standards and customer safety specifications.
Fontenot has been a part of the N2S team for 7 yr, working as a QHSE consultant. He brings a wealth of experience to the position, having owned Prime Level Consulting, a full-service safety management system firm. He has also worked previously as a safety director and as a QHSE trainer.
Fontenot holds certifications as a lead auditor for both the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001 and the International Safety Management (ISM).
Chris Fontenot
H2SCAN ADDS SENIOR EXECUTIVES FOR EXPANSION INTO NEW MARKETS AND GEOGRAPHIES
H2scan, a world leader in providing sensors for hydrogen economy applications with electric utilities, energy and industrial markets, has hired Jordan Ferguson to direct the company’s expansion in Europe as the company broadens its focus into the growing hydrogen economy. Additionally, the company has hired Jeff Donato, a proven expert in power industry battery and storage system safety, who will lead the expansion of H2scan’s impact in the power industry for hydrogen safety and reliability.
In his role as European Director, Ferguson will report to H2scan CEO David Meyers and supervise the company’s strategic business development in the hydrogen economy that is rapidly expanding across Europe. Ferguson has recently served in commercial director roles at UK business consulting firms Imperium Experts and Bio Technical Limited, driving business growth and helping to introduce new products, services and business processes. His work with Bio Technical was focused on carbon capture technologies, biowaste recycling and biogas. Ferguson has also worked in management for other firms, including Hutcheon Mearns, Valor Energy Groups, TDC Parsons Peebles and Sulzer. This work has included involvement in the energy and industrial parts sectors. His training and education are in engineering and energy management.
In his role as Director of Safety, Power Storage Systems, Donato will take a global approach to expanding H2scan’s reach within the power industry as battery storage becomes an important part of the growth of green distributed energy resources (DER)—wind and solar—as the industry worldwide moves to decarbonize the energy supply.
Donato brings executive-level and director-level experience from his time at EnviroGuard, where he worked to help provide safety solutions in the battery spill containment and environmental health and safety training sectors. He also serves as a committee chair with the IEEE Power & Energy Society. He received his degree in marketing from Franklin University.
H2scan, founded in 2002 and based in Valencia, California, provides highly accurate and reliable hydrogen leak detection and process gas monitoring solutions for hydrogen economy markets.
MORTEN HOLM CHRISTIANSEN BECOMES INTERIM CFO AT TOPSOE
Topsoe has appointed Morten Holm Christiansen as an interim CFO as Philip Eickhoff returns to the healthcare industry. Christiansen holds the position as CIO and will maintain those responsibilities in parallel with his position as interim CFO. He has had a long career in Maersk and the Novo Nordisk Group and comes with relevant CFO experience.
Philip Eickhoff will leave his position as of 31 August, and a search for a new CFO has started.
Founded in 1940, Topsoe is a global leader in developing solutions for a decarbonized world, supplying technology, catalysts and services for worldwide energy transition.
H2SCAN EXTENDS COMMITMENT TO UK MARKET WITH THE APPOINTMENT OF EUROPEAN DIRECTOR
Leading U.S. Hydrogen scanning solutions provider H2scan has extended its commitment to the UK and European market with the appointment of a European Director to drive the business into new markets.
Aberdeen-based Jordan Ferguson has joined the company as European Director and will direct the company’s expansion in Europe, as it broadens its focus into the growing hydrogen economy.
Ferguson brings a wealth of experience, having worked in several commercial roles including managing corporate development and acquisitions for Hutcheon Mearns, COO for Valor Energy Group, and higher management roles at TDC Parsons Peebles and Sulzer. Ferguson also continues his role as Founding Director for UK business consulting firms Imperium Experts and Bio Technical Limited and will continue to play an active role successfully driving business growth, focusing on various markets including carbon capture technologies, biowaste recycling and biogas.
In the next 3–6 months, the company aims to grow its UK and European headcount with its continued expansion plans. With a well-established customer base both in the UK and Europe, the company will continue to service clients as well as take new technologies to market to support the ever-growing hydrogen market.
H2scan has seen significant growth with its new Gen-5 hydrogen sensor technology and has recently closed a $70-MM investment to help fund the company’s expansion as it pursues hydrogen economy opportunities.
Jordan Ferguson
BELZONA APPOINTS NEW APPLICATION AND TRAINING DIRECTOR
Belzona, a designer and manufacturer of polymer repair and protection systems, has promoted long-serving employee, Phil Robinson, to its board of directors. Robinson, who joined as a Trainee Project Manager in 2007, has now been appointed as Application and Training Director.
Robinson will be responsible for identifying opportunities to expand the application of Belzona’s polymer solutions across a wider range of engineering industries, such as wind power, hydropower and waste-to-energy, amongst others. He will also continue to drive the Belzona application and training program, which aims to provide its distributor network with technical and practical training on the use of Belzona systems.
Robinson’s new appointment as Application and Training Director is part of the Company’s ongoing investment in its staff members, as well as its commitment to ensuring that distributors and contractors have access to excellent training services. To ensure that training courses are available globally, in addition to its headquarters in Harrogate, Belzona also provides courses at its state-of-the-art training centers in Miami (U.S.), Chonburi (Thailand), Jiangsu (China) and Ontario (Canada).
Phil Robinson
HIMA APPOINTS NEW SALES DIRECTOR FOR THE MIDDLE EAST REGION
Necmi Türer has been named the new Sales Director for HIMA’s Middle East Region. This appointment supports the company’s regional growth strategy through being closer to customers and expanding the sales and service footprint in safety-related automation solutions.
In his role as Sales Director, Türer will manage the sales and proposals teams, covering the Middle East including Egypt and Turkey, Sub-Saharan Africa including Sudan, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and the Indian Subcontinent to develop sales strategies and grow order volume in the region. He will also play an integral part in driving localization to strengthen and further develop relationships with key customers and partners alike.
With more than 20 yr of experience working in the safety industry, Türer has built a career portfolio of key account management sales, facility management, engineering, design, production operations and customer service. After beginning his career in Turkey as a sales and export manager in safety automation, Türer has gained solid experience within the industry, taking on roles from health, safety and environment expert, machinery safety expert to plant manager within functional safety.
He holds an MS degree in occupational health and safety and is a certified ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001 Lead Auditor and International Machinery Safety Expert by TÜV NORD (Germany).
The HIMA Group is a leading independent provider of safety-related automation solutions for the process and railway industries to protect people, the environment and assets.
Necmi Türer
BCCK NAMES NAOMI BAKER AS DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING
BCCK, a leader in engineering, procurement, fabrication and field construction services, has appointed Naomi Baker as director of engineering.
Ms. Baker has more than 30 yr of experience in gas processing operations, engineering, design and business development. She will be based at BCCK’s office in The Woodlands, Texas and will be responsible for all aspects of engineering, including process, mechanical, instrument and electrical (I&E) and design.
Ms. Baker, a professional engineer, holds a BS degree in chemical engineering from Texas Tech University. She is also co-inventor on 13 patents in natural gas liquids (NGL) recovery processes.
BCCK specializes in full EPC projects, including concept, engineering, design, fabrication, manufacturing and complete construction services.
Naomi Baker
MOTION ANNOUNCES SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT APPOINTMENT
Motion Industries Inc., a leading distributor of maintenance, repair and operation replacement parts, and a premier provider of industrial technology solutions, has promoted Lisa Solomon to Senior Vice President—Corporate Accounts.
Ms. Solomon joined the Company in 2015 as a Business Development Manager focused on an automotive industry account, before transitioning the same year into an automotive specialist role concentrating on a different automotive account. In 2016, she expanded her role to a Corporate Accounts Manager overseeing the entire automotive segment. In 2021, Ms. Solomon was promoted to Area Vice President—Corporate Accounts, leading a team of 16 sales professionals in the Central Group.
In her new role, Ms. Solomon will lead all of Motion’s Corporate Accounts in North America, plus other company teams, including the Corporate Accounts Support group, Corporate Accounts Development, P2 MRO, Onsite Solutions, Energy Services and International Sales.
She will report directly to James Howe, Executive Vice President—eCommerce, Sales Excellence, Strategic Pricing and Corporate Accounts.
Originally from Michigan, Ms. Solomon graduated from Central Michigan University with a BA degree in broadcasting, communications and marketing.
Lisa Solomon
OXFORD FLOW GROWS WORKFORCE BY 80% OVER 18 MOS, EYES GLOBAL EXPANSION
Oxford Flow, the flow control equipment specialist for energy, water and industrial process industries, is celebrating an impressive headcount growth of 80% over the last 18 mos as the company eyes international expansion across EMEA, India and the Americas.
The company, which now works in the U.S., UK, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific, has invested heavily in both workforce development and product R&D to build out innovative product and service lines to support gas distribution, oil and gas and power generation industries worldwide.
Oxford Flow has made several senior appointments to build out its growing management team, including John Kett as Head of field operations, Tim Doole as Head of engineering and Rob Green as Operational Development Manager.
Doole offers more than 15 yr of experience in hi-tech emergent industries, such as aerospace and automotive, and Kett brings three decades of engineering and valve industry experience, having previously worked for Severn Valve Solutions and Tyco Valves & Control UK. Similarly, Green offers more than 40 yr of experience in the valve production industry, having spent a substantial part of his career as Operations Director at Severn Glocon, with a significant focus on both the UK and Indian supply chains.
H2SCAN NAMES DAVID MEYERS PRESIDENT AND CEO
H2scan, a world leader in hydrogen sensing solutions for the energy, industrial and emerging hydrogen markets, has named its current Chief Operating Officer (COO), David Meyers, as the company’s President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). He replaces Dennis Reid, company Founder and current President and CEO, who is retiring.
Meyers has served as COO since February 2022. In that time, he has worked with key company leaders looking at ways to scale production, build R&D and engineering capability, and prepare for this vote of confidence from the investment community. He has deep experience with H2scan through his contributions as a board member for 5 yr and his support for its product development activities while working for Altran, a global engineering services company. He joined the H2scan board in 2017 after leading an investment as Altran’s North America Vice President of Corporate Development.
As COO, and subsequently the General Manager of Altran’s Innovative Product Development business, he managed the company’s energy, industrial, aerospace and life sciences engineering services business units. H2scan retained Altran to accelerate the development of its application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) that enabled the Gen 5 sensor. His team also supported the development of the company’s Automated Sensor Manufacturing (ASM) system to improve production efficiency and capacity to meet future sales growth.
Prior to Altran, Meyers held executive and various business and development roles at startups and large companies in the semiconductor, life sciences, defense and space industries. In these roles he developed significant experience in the sensor market by supporting the development of a variety of MEMS sensors and high-performance sensors for aerospace applications. Meyers earned a BS degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Delaware.
David Meyers
ELLIOTT APPOINTS TWO NEW VPS
Elliott Group has announced two key appointments: Ronald Josefczyk has been appointed Vice President of Global Manufacturing, succeeding Takanobu Miyaki, who was named Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in March 2022; and Matthew Rhodes has been named Vice President of Global Service, succeeding Shane Reph, who was named Chief Operations Officer (COO) in April 2022.
Josefczyk joined Elliott in 2006 as a Technical Service Engineer, specializing in compressors. Since then, he advanced through positions of increasing responsibility covering all of Elliott’s product lines, culminating in Director of Research and Development. As Director of R&D, Josefczyk oversaw the design, planning and construction of a new R&D test facility, and was instrumental in the development of high flow, small-frame compressors and 130-MW class steam turbines.
Prior to being named Vice President of Global Manufacturing, his most recent position was Director of Global Engineering. Josefczyk came to Elliott from General Electric CONMEC, where he was a design engineer for bladed products. He holds a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. In his new position, he is responsible for global manufacturing, global procurement, global engineering and global technical services, reporting directly to COO Shane Reph.
Rhodes joined Elliott in 2003 as Global Service Sales Manager for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMA). In the years since, he has held other positions, including EMA Commercial Manager, Director of Global Service Sales, Director of Global Service Centers, and most recently, Director of Global Field Service. As Vice President of Global Service, his responsibilities will encompass all of Elliott’s aftermarket businesses.
As Head of Elliott’s Global Service organization, Rhodes brings 35 yr of experience in manufacturing, customer facing and aftermarket leadership to his new role.
Before joining Elliott, Rhodes began his career at Sulzer’s Pump Division in Leeds, UK, where he started as an apprentice engineer then went on to hold multiple roles of increasing responsibility over a period of 16 yr. He also spent several years as Operations Director at Weir Groups’ Power & Industrial Division in the UK. Rhodes holds a BS degree of engineering from Leeds University, Yorkshire, UK.
S&B NAMES VALERIE CARLSON AS CFO
S&B Engineers and Constructors (S&B) has named Valerie Carlson as the company’s new Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer. She will be responsible for the company’s accounting and finance functions.
Carlson joins S&B from Members Choice Credit Union, where she served as Chief Financial Officer. She has more than 20 yr of experience in oil and gas, construction and financial services.
Early in her career, Carlson held positions at JP Morgan Chase, Capital Group Companies and Zachry Construction Corp. From there, she spent 8 yr at Wood. In manager and director roles, Carlson partnered with the company’s business unit leadership and provided reporting, analytics and forecasting. She earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Houston – Victoria, a master’s degree in accounting from the University of St. Thomas and is a licensed CPA.
Valerie Carlson
JŌB INDUSTRIAL SERVICES NAMES SCOTT STENBERG AS CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Jōb Industrial Services (Jōb), an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) company serving the oil and gas, power, materials and chemical industries, has named Scott Stenberg as Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S., Stenberg previously held the role of Jōb’s Director of finance. As CFO, he will continue to oversee the financial and administrative functions of Jōb, but will be increasing his interaction with the other executive team members and focusing on strategic planning.
Stenberg is a Licensed Certified Public Accountant with the Utah Association of CPAs (UACPA) and American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). He holds an MS degree in accounting from Webster State University, Utah, U.S.
Scott Stenberg
BRÜEL & KJÆR VIBRO NAMES VOLKER POLONYI AS CEO AND PRESIDENT
Brüel & Kjær Vibro (B&K Vibro), one of the leading worldwide independent suppliers of condition monitoring solutions for rotating machinery, has named Volker Polonyi as its new CEO and President.
Polonyi joins from B&K Vibro’s parent company, NSK, a global organization specializing in researching, designing and manufacturing motion and control solutions. Most recently at NSK, Polonyi was Director of the European Technology Centre, a state-of-the-art regional research and development facility that develops advanced bearing technologies to ensure that customers could respond effectively to challenges in their business environment.
Overall, Polonyi brings with him 35 yr of experience in bearing and linear technology, having also served as NSK’s Managing Director for industrial bearing sales; Sector Manager for wind power technology; and Head of application development.
Volker Polonyi
NESTE APPOINTS CHRIS COOPER PRESIDENT OF NESTE US
Chris Cooper has been appointed President of Neste US as of July 1, 2022. In his role, Cooper will be responsible for supporting and aligning regional business strategies to deliver the strategic growth targets, and he will act as Neste’s primary representative for the external community in the U.S. Cooper presently serves as Vice President Americas of Neste Renewable Aviation.
Neste’s regional headquarters in North America is in Houston, Texas, and the company employs more than 500 people across the U.S. Neste’s renewable waste and residue sourcing platform in the U.S includes fully owned Mahoney Environmental, a leading collector and recycler of used cooking oil, and Agri Trading, one of the largest independent renewable waste and residue fat and oil traders in the U.S.
Chris Cooper
PAOLO GUGLIELMINI TO BE APPOINTED NEW PRESIDENT AND CEO FOR HEXAGON
Hexagon AB, a global leader in digital reality solutions, combining sensors, software and autonomous technologies, has announced that Paolo Guglielmini will succeed Ola Rollén as President and CEO of Hexagon AB, effective 31 December 2022.
Gun Nilsson has decided to step down as CEO for Hexagon's principal shareholder MSAB on 1 October and consequently leave her position as Chairman of Hexagon AB at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2023. MSAB, in consultation with Hexagon's nomination committee, has the intention to propose Ola Rollén as new Chairman of the Board at the AGM 2023.
Paolo Guglielmini, currently Hexagon's Chief Operating Officer (COO) and President of Hexagon's Manufacturing Intelligence (MI) division, has served in key roles since joining Hexagon in 2010, from strategy and business development to M&A and general management. He has been instrumental in expanding MI's focus towards software-centric quality data solutions, and with his team driving the business towards all-time-high performance in 2021. Prior to joining Hexagon, Guglielmini held positions at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research in Switzerland, and Accenture. He holds an MS degree in engineering and an MBA from MD.
At the same time, the following organizational changes will be made:
Josh (Joshua) Weiss, currently the COO of Hexagon Geosystems, will succeed Guglielmini as President for Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence, effective 1 July 2022. Weiss has served in multiple leadership roles since joining Hexagon in 2015, from his most recent role to the President of Geosystems' mining and heavy construction businesses. Weiss will report to Hexagon's President and CEO and be a part of the executive management team.
Michael Ritter, currently President of Hexagon Autonomy & Positioning, will assume a new senior role overseeing Hexagon's Autonomy & Positioning, Mining and Agriculture divisions, effective immediately. In this role, Ritter will be responsible for leading the strategy of the businesses, to accelerate synergies and strengthening the solutions portfolio for Hexagon's customers. Ritter will continue reporting to Hexagon's President and CEO and be a part of the executive management team.
Maria Luthström, currently Head of Sustainability and Investor Relations for Hexagon, will succeed Ritter as President of Hexagon Autonomy & Positioning, effective 1 October 2022. Luthström joined Hexagon in 2015 and has been instrumental in expanding the company's strategy and environmental, social and governance (ESG) agenda, strengthening Hexagon's culture and increasing shareholder value. Luthström will report to Michael Ritter.
QUORUM SOFTWARE APPOINTS EMILIO G. MARISEI TO LEAD EMEA AND APAC REGIONS
Quorum Software (Quorum), a global software leader dedicated to the energy industry, has named Emilio G. Marisei as Senior Vice President and Managing Director, EMEA and APAC. In this role, he will be responsible for driving go-to-market strategies for the EMEA and APAC regions and ensuring that Quorum continues to deliver exceptional value to its expanding base of international clients.
Most recently, Marisei served as Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer for a renewable energy scale-up. Prior to this, he served in various global people leadership roles dedicated to digital transformation and growth acceleration, including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Schlumberger Software Integrated Solutions and Accenture.
Marisei is based in Norway, a major global center of excellence for Quorum and its Energy Components solution for hydrocarbon accounting and LNG management.
HIMA APPOINTS PETER SIEBER AS VICE PRESIDENT OF STRATEGIC MARKETING, RESTRUCTURES REGIONAL MANAGEMENT IN CHINA
Peter Sieber has been appointed to the position of Vice President Strategic Marketing of the HIMA Group. In this newly created function, he will drive the digitalization of functional safety and further expand the company's position as an independent solution provider in safety-related automation.
The marketing communication, product management, consulting, training and standards departments have been combined into the new Strategic Marketing department. One of Sieber’s main tasks is the expansion of the solution portfolio to include digitalized customer processes and their global establishment.
Sieber has 37 yr of experience in process automation since he graduated with an engineering degree, and has held various management positions at leading international process automation companies. After joining HIMA as Sales Manager in 2013, he was appointed Vice President Norms & Standards and Vice President Region China in 2016.
He is involved in international standards working groups in the areas of safety, security and engineering. He was involved in the development of IEC 61508 and IEC 61511 (functional safety), IEC 62443 (OT security), IEC 62881 (engineering), EN 50156 (combustion safety) and ISO 13849 (machine safety). As an employee in the German-China standardization cooperation Industry 4.0, he has helped to establish functional safety in the Industry 4.0 context in China.
The regional management at HIMA China has been restructured. Yao Zhou has been appointed to the management board as Managing Director, Finance & Administration. This will strengthen local management in the strategically important Chinese market. Zhou has been working for the company since 2016 and was previously responsible for finance and administration, as well as human resources.
Peter Sieber
Yao Zhou
ELISE H. NOWEE APPOINTED PRESIDENT OF SHELL CATALYSTS & TECHNOLOGIES
Elise H. Nowee has been named President of Shell Catalyst & Technologies (SC&T) effective July 1, 2022. She will succeed Andy Gosse, who has served in the role since 2018. Nowee will be based in the Netherlands and report to Yuri Sebregts, Executive Vice President Technology for Shell.
Since joining Shell nearly 30 yr ago as a chemical engineer in the Pernis refinery in the Netherlands, Nowee has held leadership positions in regional and global teams in manufacturing, commercial, sales, economic optimization, oil-chemical integration, joint-ventures and supply chain management. She presently serves as General Manager for the Lubricants Supply Chain organization in Europe, the Middle East and Africa—the Lubricants Supply Chain organization produces 4,500 types of lubricants that are supplied to customers in more than 75 countries. Previously, Nowee held the position of Regional Base Chemicals and Global Base Oils Manager.
Elise H. Nowee
TECHNICAL TOOLBOXES APPOINTS JIM SCHUCHART AS PRESIDENT AND CEO
Technical Toolboxes Powertools Inc., a leading global provider of cloud-based engineering software to the energy industry, has appointed Jim Schuchart as President and CEO.
Schuchart will be responsible for leading the development and execution of Technical Toolboxes' strategies to further the company's mission of providing best-in-class safety, engineering and operational solutions to the energy industry. Prior to joining the company, he held senior roles in management, sales, customer success and business development for several successful software platforms.
Schuchart holds a degree in mathematics and philosophy from Northwestern University and is an adjunct faculty member at MIT Sloan School of Management, where he teaches coursework on entrepreneurship.
Jim Schuchart
NESTE NOMINATES CARL NYBERG AS EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, RENEWABLE PLATFORM AND MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Carl Nyberg has been nominated as Executive Vice President, Renewables Platform and member of the Neste Executive Committee. He will start in this position on 1 June 2022, and will report to President and CEO Matti Lehmus, whom he succeeds in this role.
Nyberg joined Neste in 2005 and has held several key leadership positions during his career at Neste. He has been a member of the Executive Committee and held the position of Executive Vice President, Renewable Road Transportation since 2019. Nyberg earned an MS degree in economics and an MBA degree.
Carl Nyberg
TECHNIP ENERGIES APPOINTS SAMIR KAROUM AS CHIEF STRATEGY AND SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER
Technip Energies, a leading engineering and technology company for the energy transition, has appointed Samir Karoum as Chief Strategy and Sustainability Officer and member of the Group Executive Committee. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., Karoum will oversee strategy, sustainability as well as investments, partnerships, strategic marketing and digital.
Karoum is a proven leader with more than 20 yr of international experience in the energy, mobility and digital sectors. After starting his career in project management, he held various commercial and general management positions at the local, regional and global levels at Areva, Alstom and Schneider Electric. Prior to joining Technip Energies, Karoum was Start-Ups Partner Vice President at Schneider Electric. A graduate of ESTP, he has also participated in numerous executive programs, such as Wharton Venture Capital program, INSEAD Senior Management Program and CHEDE Auditor.
Samir Karoum
CHEVRON APPOINTS DR. WANDA M. AUSTIN AS LEAD INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR
The independent directors of the Chevron Board have selected Dr. Wanda M. Austin as Lead Independent Director. Dr. Austin succeeds Dr. Ronald D. Sugar in that role, who will remain on the Chevron Board. Dr. Austin has served on the Chevron Board since December 2016.
Dr. Austin will continue to serve as Chair of the Board Nominating and Governance Committee and member of the Management Compensation Committee. Dr. Sugar will continue to serve on the Board Nominating and Governance Committee and Management Compensation Committee.
Dr. Wanda M. Austin
DANIEL KOHL JOINS OPPORTUNE LLP AS CO-HEAD AND MANAGING DIRECTOR OF FIRM’S INVESTMENT BANKING PRACTICE
Daniel Kohl has joined Opportune LLP, a leading global energy business advisory firm, as Co-Head and Managing Director of Opportune Partners LLC, an independent investment banking and financial advisory affiliate of Opportune.
Based in the firm’s Houston office, Kohl joins the investment banking practice, bringing over a decade of energy industry experience, having advised on more than $10 B in completed transactions over the last 5 yr across every major basin in the U.S. His principal focus will be serving client needs around A&D advisory, M&A advisory, structured transactions, strategic and portfolio management, and fairness and solvency opinions.
Before Opportune, Kohl served as Head of A&D Advisory at UBS, where he managed and directed all A&D and technical advisory efforts for the energy investment bank. He began his career at Chevron, where he worked in various technical roles with a focus on the Appalachian Basin shale plays.
Kohl holds an MS degree from The Pennsylvania State University and a BS degree from Washington and Lee University. He is also a FINRA Series 79 and 63 registered representative.
Daniel Kohl
N2 SOLUTIONS APPOINTS NY CHHENG IN BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ROLE
N2 Solutions (N2S), a leading supplier of nitrogen services to the energy, industrial and utility industries, has appointed Ny Chheng in a business development role.
Based in N2’s Highlands, Texas facility, Chheng will be responsible for identifying prospects, introducing expanding service offerings to key industries, and strengthening existing business relationships throughout the greater Houston area and Texas Gulf Coast.
Chheng brings nearly 15 yr of downstream petrochemical and refining knowledge to the N2 Solutions team, most recently from Axios Industrial Maintenance, where she served as Regional Business Development Manager. Additionally, Chheng has a wide range of experience gained in various project management and business development roles in Texas.
Chheng holds a degree in finance from the University of Houston.
Ny Chheng
ANNE CHASSAGNETTE APPOINTED JOHNSON MATTHEY’S FIRST CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER
Johnson Matthey (JM), a global leader in sustainable technologies, has appointed Anne Chassagnette as its first Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO). She will assume her role with effect from 16 May 2022, and will be a member of the Group Management Committee (GMC) reporting to Chief Executive Liam Condon.
In this new role, Chassagnette will play a key role in driving JM’s sustainability agenda, ensuring JM’s ESG objectives are fully integrated into all of the company’s strategic and operational decisions. She will collaborate with colleagues across JM to thread sustainability into all elements of the business from culture to corporate strategy as well as how success is measured and communicated.
Her role will also be to build relationships with government, investors and external stakeholders to help them understand the company’s sustainability agenda, governance and progress.
Chassagnette was previously at Engie Group, a global leader in renewable energy and low-carbon distributed energy infrastructures, where she was Chief Sustainability Officer. She led the company’s transition and investment in renewable energy and energy transition services to aid clients to decarbonize. Prior to her role as Engie’s Chief Sustainability Officer, she held various finance roles at the company, including leading M&A transactions.
A French national, Chassagnette has also been a member of the European Economic and Social Committee; Vice President of the board of the IDDRI Sustainable Development Institute, a think tank to facilitate the transition towards sustainable development; and a Member of the Sustainable Finance Commission of French Markets Authority.
Anne Chassagnette
DR. PAULA GANT NAMED PRESIDENT AND CEO OF GTI ENERGY
Dr. Paula Gant, GTI Energy’s Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Innovation, will assume the company’s leadership as President and CEO effective July 5, 2022. Dr. Gant will succeed David C. Carroll, who will retire from the company effective August 1, 2022.
Since joining GTI Energy in 2019, Dr. Gant has led efforts to enhance the creation and market impact of technology-based energy and environmental solutions. Prior to joining GTI Energy, she held leadership roles at the U.S. Department of Energy, where she administered natural gas export regulation, R&D programs executed by the National Energy Technology Lab, and international clean energy deployment initiatives. She previously led policy, regulatory affairs and strategy at the American Gas Association and at Duke Energy Corporation.
Dr. Paula Gant
BLACK & VEATCH MAKES SENIOR EXECUTIVE APPOINTMENTS
The Black & Veatch board of directors has selected Mario Azar Chairman and CEO for the company. He will succeed Steve Edwards, who is retiring after 44 yr of outstanding leadership, service and dedication. Azar previously served as President, Energy & Process Industries, and becomes only the eighth senior leader in the Founder, Managing Partner or Chair role in Black & Veatch’s 107-yr history.
Azar’s global leadership experience spans more than 32 yr in the energy and industrial fields, much of it in engineering and construction solutions. Prior to joining Black & Veatch in 2018 as the President of the global power business, he served in multiple executive roles and led large global businesses at Siemens, and previously Westinghouse, including as CEO of Siemens Oil & Gas and Marine. He also founded a private consulting firm focused on energy and heavy industry.
Laszlo von Lazar has been appointed to succeed Azar as President of the company’s Energy & Process Industries (E&PI) business. In a related move, Dale Claudel, an industry veteran, has been selected by the company to lead its Energy Utilities segment within E&PI. Joining Black & Veatch in 2019, von Lazar was named the company’s President of BV Operations last year as part of a companywide transformation. Since then, he has successfully established BV Ops and its critical role within the company’s global operating model. His project execution experience spans across the company’s diverse client base and geographies.
Previously serving as Global Projects Services Leader for the company’s power business, he led engineering, procurement, construction, quality and business excellence. He has more than 33 yr of worldwide project experience, including 4 yr with General Electric and 27 yr with Bechtel Corp., where he helped the E&PI business deliver its diverse portfolio of solutions to BV clients. von Lazar earned a master’s of law and diplomacy, and a bachelor’s degree in international relations from Tufts University.
Claudel, a power utility executive with 25 yr of leadership experience, will join Black & Veatch in May 2022. As a longtime leader for utility client Entergy, a power generation, transmission and distributed energy company that provides electricity to 3 MM utility customers in the southern U.S., Claudel brings extensive experience in safety, business transformation, operations, compliance, engineering, capital projects and grid modernization, all elements that support Black & Veatch’s wide-ranging portfolio of client solutions. He previously served in multiple leadership roles for Entergy Corp., most recently as Vice President, Grid Modernization & Strategy. Before his strategy role, Claudel served as Vice President of Power Generation, as well as Power Plant Operations. Claudel earned master’s degrees in finance and business administration from Tulane University and in mechanical and aerospace engineering from the University of Virginia. He also holds a BS degree in mechanical engineering from McNeese State University.
The company has named Barry Clegg as interim Co-Leader for BV Ops while a search is conducted for that role. Clegg, with 30 yr of experience, presently serves as Vice President and Project Director within the company’s E&PI business.
Mario Azar
Laszlo von Lazar
Dale Claudel
LUMMUS APPOINTS ATANAS H. ATANASOV AS CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
The board of directors of Lummus Technology, a global provider of process technologies and value-driven technology solutions, has appointed Atanas H. Atanasov to serve as the company's Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (CFO). In this role, Atanasov will have responsibility for Lummus' financial management, accounting, reporting, audit, tax and treasury functions. He will assume the Chief Financial Officer role from John Albanese, who is stepping down as CFO but will remain with Lummus for another 18 mos to support several of the company's strategic projects.
Atanasov joins Lummus after previously serving as Executive Vice President, CFO and Treasurer of Kraton Corp., a leading global sustainable producer of specialty polymers and high-value biobased products. Prior to Kraton, he was CFO of Empire Petroleum Partners LLC and CFO of NGL Energy Partners. He also spent 9 yr with GE Capital in various finance roles of increasing importance and responsibility.
Atanasov holds an MBA from the Collins College of Business at the University of Tulsa and a BS degree in accounting, graduating Summa Cum Laude, from Oral Roberts University. He is also a certified public accountant.
Atanas H. Atanasov
OPPORTUNE LLP APPOINTS NICHOLE JAGGERS AS CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER
Opportune LLP, a leading global energy business advisory firm, has named Nichole Jeggers as Chief People Officer. As a key member of Opportune’s leadership, Jaggers will be responsible for overseeing the firm’s people strategy, including human resources management, operations, talent management and talent acquisition, organization development, recruitment, learning and development, and diversity and inclusion efforts.
Jaggers brings more than 10 yr of relevant industry experience in human resources, talent management and operational roles. Before Opportune, she served as Head of Talent at BPX Energy, a wholly-owned subsidiary of BP Plc. and the U.S. onshore oil and gas business within BP’s Production and Operations organization, where she led all activities in recruiting, onboarding, talent management, learning and development, and reward. Recently, she led the design and implementation of workforce planning, a high potential leadership development program, and an end-to-end recruitment process. Jaggers came to BP following several years in energy consulting, having held the positions of Human Resources Manager and Human Resources Assistant at Opportune.
Jaggers holds a BA degree in political science with a Minor in business from Texas A&M University. She also completed the High Potential Leadership Program at Harvard Business School’s Executive Education and holds a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification.
Nichole Jaggers
ALESSANDRO BERNINI APPOINTED NEW CEO AND COO OF MAIRE TECNIMONT
The Board of Directors of Maire Tecnimont S.p.A. has named Alessandro Bernini, already Group Chief Financial Officer of the company since 2013, as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Maire Tecnimont. He succeeds Pierroberto Folgiero, who has resigned.
Bernini will be principally responsible for the management of the company and the establishment and maintenance of the internal control and risk management system, as well as executive powers for the management and coordination of the Group's activities.
He began his professional career in 1979 in auditing, joining Ernst & Young in 1980 where he participated in the auditing of important national (Saipem, Pirelli) and international groups, as well as participating in the development of auditing standards and supporting the National Council of Certified Public Accountants in the drafting of the first formulation of the National Accounting Principles. He was appointed Partner in 1994 and took the responsibility for the office located in Brescia while continuing to maintain responsibility for important forensic engagements of the Milan central office.
In 1996, he joined the Saipem Group (ENI group) as Chief Financial Officer and then served as Head of the Corporate Secretary and Corporate Governance. During his tenure at Saipem, he actively participated in the acquisition of the group Bouygues Offshore and the Snamprogetti group. In 2008, he assumed the role of Chief Financial Officer of the ENI Group, which he held until December 2012. During his mandate at Eni, he coordinated the activities aimed to the sale of participation in Snam group to Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, the acquisitions of international companies operating in the oil and gas sector and the sale of the investment held by Eni in the Portuguese national energy company Galp. He represented Eni in the Snam Board of Directors, was the Chairman of Eni Insurance and a member of OIL board of directors, an insurance company established among the international oil companies.
In 2013, Bernini joined Maire Tecnimont Group as Group Chief Financial Officer, also covering the position of Director in several Group companies.
He has been registered in the National Register of Auditors since 1995, and has been a Certified Accountant since 1994.
Alessandro Bernini
ELLIOTT GROUP APPOINTS TWO EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
Elliott Group has appointed Takanobu Miyaki as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), succeeding outgoing CEO Michael Lordi, who has retired after 35 yr with Elliott Group.
Mr. Miyaki transferred from parent company Ebara Corp. to Elliott in 2014 to serve as Director, Corporate Development. In this role, he was instrumental in the acquisition of Elliott’s Cryodynamic Products business. Prior to his appointment as CEO, Mr. Miyaki held positions of increasing responsibility at Elliott, covering every aspect of Elliott’s business. Most recently, he was the Vice President of Global Manufacturing.
Elliott has also named Shane Reph as Chief Operating Officer (COO). Mr. Reph brings a wealth of knowledge in business- and customer-focused roles gained over more than 30 yr in the turbomachinery industry. Mr. Reph joined Elliott in 2011 as Director of Engineered Solutions, and over the next 9 yr, directed the activities of three of Elliott’s core Global Service businesses before being appointed Vice President of Global Service in 2020. Prior to Elliott, Mr. Reph was with GE Oil & Gas, where his roles included General Manager of GE CONMEC, Vice President of Aerospace Ground Support Equipment, and General Manager/Vice President of GE North America Oil & Gas.
Takanobu Miyaki
Shane Reph
ABB APPOINTS KARIN LEPASOON AS CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS AND SUSTAINABILTY OFFICER
Karin Lepasoon has been appointed Chief Communications and Sustainability Officer and member of the executive committee for ABB. She will succeed Theodor Swedjemark, who will leave the company. Ms. Lepasoon will assume her position latest on October 1, 2022, and Mr. Swedjemark will remain in his role and a member of the executive committee until then.
Ms. Lepasoon joins ABB from Vattenfall, where she serves as Senior Vice President, Head of group communications and is a part of the company’s group executive management team. Besides this role, she has also served as Head of global marketing and communications at SEB; Director of sustainability, communications and HR at Nordic Capital; Head of strategy and Chief of Staff at Skanska; as well as various other roles in the area of communications.
She earned a Master’s Degree in Law (LL.M) from Lund’s University in Sweden and a Master’s Degree in EU Law from Leiden University in the Netherlands.
As of October 1, 2022, the executive committee will comprise: Björn Rosengren, Chief Executive Officer; Timo Ihamuotila, Chief Financial Officer; Tarak Mehta, President Motion; Peter Terwiesch, President Process Automation; Morten Wierod, President Electrification; Sami Atiya, President Robotics & Discrete Automation; Andrea Antonelli, General Counsel & Company Secretary; Carolina Granat, Chief Human Resources Officer; and Karin Lepasoon, Chief Communications and Sustainability Officer.
Karin Lepasoon
KP ENGINEERING APPOINTS CHRIS ELEY AS EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, GLOBAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
KP Engineering LP (KPE), a leader in the design and execution of customized engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) solutions for the refining, syngas, hydrogen and renewable fuels industries, has named Chris Eley as its new Executive Vice President, Global Business Development.
With extensive leadership experience in sales, marketing and business development of international projects for the refining, petrochemicals, syngas and LNG markets, Eley will be responsible for leading KPE’s sales and marketing efforts in refining, petrochemicals, syngas and renewables as the company grows.
He joins KPE from Petro-Chem Development Co., acquired by Axens of France in 2018, where he served as President and CEO since 2012. Prior to that, he served as its Senior Vice President, sales and marketing, from 2006–2012. In 1990, he was one of five people that founded KTI Corp.’s Houston fired heater business, where he remained in various roles until his departure for Petro-Chem Development in 2006.
Eley holds a degree in mechanical engineering from Texas Tech University.
Chris Eley
WOOD STRENGTHENS LEADERSHIP TEAM WITH NEW EXECUTIVE PRESIDENT OF STRATEGY AND DEVELOPMENT
Global consulting and engineering company Wood has appointed Jennifer Richmond as Executive President of strategy and development and the latest member of the executive leadership team.
In her new role, Richmond will assume executive responsibility for Wood’s growth through strategic planning, business development, mergers and acquisitions, and marketing and communications.
Richmond joins Wood from Jacobs, where she held a variety of leadership roles throughout her 19 yr at the firm. A member of the senior leadership team since 2018, her most recent role was as Senior Vice President of sales for the Federal and Environmental Solutions business. Before that, she served as Senior Vice President for the Advancing National Security and Defense business, where she led a worldwide team of 5,000 people delivering mission-critical solutions to the U.S. Department of Defense and other government clients.
Richmond has a passion for inclusion and diversity and was co-chair of Jacob’s Women’s Network. In 2020, she was recognized as one of the “Top 25 Execs to Watch” by Washington Exec, a member’s organization for executives in the U.S. She is also a member of the Association of the United States Army and is a certified project management professional.
Based in Washington D.C., Richmond begins her new role effective from April 18th, 2022. She succeeds Andrew Stewart, who left Wood for a new role on the client side in his native Australia.
Jennifer Richmond
LUMMUS APPOINTS UJJAL MUKHERJEE AS CHIEF TECHONOLOGY OFFICER
Ujjal Mukherjee will become the Lummus Technology’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO) as of April 1. He succeeds Jo Portela, who upon retirement will transition to an advisory role to Lummus' board of directors and executive team.
As CTO, Mukherjee will be responsible for driving cross-company initiatives to enhance and grow Lummus' broad portfolio and champion the company's technology solutions to strategic customers. He will also lead the development of advanced technology solutions.
Beginning his career with Lummus in 1990, Mukherjee has developed expertise in clean fuels, petrochemicals and emerging technologies. He has 38 issued U.S. patents, and many of the processes he invented have been successfully commercialized, including LC-MAX technology and integrated hydrocracking.
Most recently, he served as Vice President and Managing Director of Chevron Lummus Global, a joint venture between Chevron and Lummus, while also overseeing Thermal Crude to Chemicals (TC2C™) for Lummus. TC2C is a technology pioneered by Saudi Aramco, Lummus Technology and Chevron Lummus Global that enables higher chemicals yield than previously achievable by bypassing conventional refining steps and employing a proprietary direct conversion process. Mukherjee is also a Lummus Fellow, a distinguished role in which he helps Lummus lead in knowledge transfer and development initiatives in key technology areas.
Mukherjee holds a BS degree in chemical engineering from the National Institute of Technology in India; an MS degree in chemical and petroleum engineering from ENSPM in France; and an MBA from Rutgers University in the U.S.
Ujjal Mukherjee
MATTI LEHMUS APPOINTED AS PRESIDENT AND CEO OF NESTE
Neste Corporation’s board of directors has appointed Matti Lehmus as President and CEO as of May 1, 2022. He succeeds Peter Vanacker.
Lehmus joined Neste in 1998, and has held several key leadership positions during his career in both the oil products business and renewables. He has been a member of the Neste Executive Committee since 2009, and now serves as Executive Vice President, Renewables Platform.
He has been deeply involved in a number of strategic decisions on Neste’s transformation journey, including the establishment of a production joint venture in the U.S., its Singapore expansion and the planning for a possible next capacity increase investment in Rotterdam.
Lehmus holds an MS degree in chemical engineering and an eMBA.
EXXONMOBIL APPOINTS DAN AMMANN AS PRESIDENT OF LOW CARBON SOLUTIONS; JOE BLOMMAERT TO RETIRE
Dan Ammann, former General Motors President and CEO of Cruise autonomous vehicle company, has been appointed President of ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions, effective May 1. Ammann replaces Joe Blommaert, who has elected to retire after 35 yr of service.
Ammann was named CEO of Cruise, which is majority-owned by GM, in 2018, and was appointed President of GM in 2014. He was previously GM’s Chief Financial Officer and joined GM as Treasurer in 2010. He helped lead GM's initial public offering following the company’s 2009 restructuring.
Ammann began his career as an investment banker, starting at Credit Suisse First Boston in 1994 and moving to Morgan Stanley in 1999, where he was named a Managing Director in 2005. Ammann received a bachelor’s degree in management studies from the University of Waikato in New Zealand.
Blommaert, who has been President of Low Carbon Solutions since its creation in 2021, joined ExxonMobil Chemical in 1988 as a process engineer at the Rozenburg chemical plant in the Netherlands. Following assignments in the Netherlands, Belgium and the U.S., Blommaert was appointed Regional Director for Europe and Asia-Pacific chemical operations in 2014 and became Senior Vice President of global operations for the Chemical business in 2019.
Blommaert has a master’s degree in chemical engineering from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.
ExxonMobil created the Low Carbon Solutions business to commercialize the company’s extensive low-emissions portfolio with the objective to create long-term shareholder value and support global emissions-reduction efforts.
AUDUBON ENGINEERING CO. PROMOTES DAVID ROBISON TO CEO
Audubon Engineering Co. LLC (AEC), a portfolio of companies providing engineering, consulting, construction, fabrication, cybersecurity and technical field services to the energy, power, infrastructure and industrial markets, has promoted David Robison to the position of CEO.
This promotion is part of a strategic initiative to advance AEC’s growth in emerging energy markets, including clean energy solutions like liquefied natural gas (LNG), hydrogen (H2) and renewables. The move will help the company continue delivering efficient energy infrastructure and technical expertise to its customers around the world.
During his 11-yr tenure with AEC, Robison has held several positions, starting as the Controller in the company’s accounting and finance group. He was promoted to CFO and has also served as the President of Audubon Field Solutions LLC for the last 3 yr. He earned both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in accounting from Louisiana State University.
HUNTER BUILDINGS NAMES MICHAEL DRAPER AS CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
Hunter Buildings has named Michael Draper as the blast-resistant building firm’s chief operating officer.
In his new role, Mr. Draper is responsible for overseeing Hunter’s day-to-day operations. In addition, he will work with company leadership to implement strategic direction and values to move the company forward.
A 7-yr veteran of Hunter Buildings, Mr. Draper previously served as Chief Financial Officer. He brings more than 20 yr of operational and financial experience to his work, with sectors including manufacturing, construction, specialty rental services, midstream/energy and telecommunications.
Prior work has placed him in leadership positions ranging from COO to CFO and Director for both public and private companies ranging from startups to Fortune 100 endeavors.
Mr. Draper earned his BA degree in accounting from Texas State University and is a Certified Public Accountant. He still works closely with his alma mater, having served for more than 15 yr on an advisory board for the school’s McCoy College of Business.
Michael Draper
MOTION NAMES VICE PRESIDENT—SOUTHEAST GROUP
Motion Industries Inc., a leading distributor of maintenance, repair and operation replacement parts, and a premier provider of industrial technology solutions, has promoted Jon Tart to Vice President of the Company’s Southeast Group.
Mr. Tart was promoted from his position of Baltimore Division Vice President. Starting with Motion in 1996 as a Customer Service Representative, he transitioned to the Corporate Training program in 1997, then moved to a sales territory in 1998. Since then, Mr. Tart has served as Branch Manager of two branches, Division Sales Manager, Area Vice President of corporate accounts for the Northeast and the Southeast, and Baltimore Division Manager. Mr. Tart will report to Kevin Storer, Executive Vice President, Branch Operations. A graduate of East Carolina University, Mr. Tart holds a BA degree in marketing and an MBA.
SHELL ANNOUNCES EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND BOARD CHANGE
Shell Plc. has appointed Sinead Gorman as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), effective April 1, 2022. She will become a member of both Shell’s executive committee and board of directors. After a distinguished career of 17 yr with Shell, the last 5 yr as CFO, Jessica Uhl will step down from her role on March 31, 2022. Ms. Uhl will be available to assist Ms. Gorman and the board with transition until June 30, 2022, after which she will leave the group.
Ms. Gorman now serves as Executive VP, Finance in Shell’s global upstream business. She started her career as a civil engineer before embarking on a finance career when she joined Shell in 1999. Since then, she has held several increasingly senior finance roles in all Shell’s major businesses, in Europe, North America and latterly globally. A British national, she will be based in London, UK.
She started her career in trading, working in STASCO and the Coral Energy Joint Venture, based in Calgary, Alberta and Houston, Texas. She worked in mergers and acquisitions and treasury based in the Netherlands. In recent years, Ms. Gorman has held the position of Executive VP, Finance for projects and technology, and integrated gas and new energies.
Ms. Gorman holds an MEng degree in engineering, economics and management from the University of Oxford, and an MSc degree in finance from the London Business School.
SERVOMEX APPOINTS ANDY COWAN AS NEW PRESIDENT
A new leader has been appointed for the global expert in gas analysis, Servomex. Andy Cowan replaces Trevor Sands as the new President, having been promoted from his role as Chief Finance Officer at Spectris’s Industrial Solutions Division (ISD).
Mr. Cowan has also worked as the Interim President of the Industrial Solutions Division, as well as VP for Finance and Business Development at the sister company Particle Measuring Systems.
Andy Cowan
WERNER PONIKWAR TO BE NEW CEO OF THYSSENKRUPP NUCERA
thyssenkrupp nucera will get a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) with Werner Ponikwar, who will take over as CEO on July 1, 2022. As Deputy CEO, Denis Krude will assume the newly created function of Chief Operating Officer (COO).
The strengthening of the management team is in line with thyssenkrupp nucera's successfully pursued growth strategy and reflects the growing range of responsibilities on the executive board. An IPO as preferred option for the further development of the company continues to be examined.
Dr. Ponikwar has broad experience from a wide range of management positions in plant engineering and chemicals as well as the rapidly growing hydrogen market, while Mr. Krude will continue his many years of successful work with customers and projects of thyssenkrupp nucera. After thyssenkrupp nucera's convincing start of the year, they will shape the company's next, successful chapter together.
Dr. Ponikwar most recently served as Managing Director of Linde Hydrogen FuelTech GmbH, a subsidiary of Linde Plc. Previously, he headed, among other things, the polyolefins business unit at Linde Engineering as well as key account management at Linde AG. He holds a PhD in chemistry and worked for the management consultancy Arthur D. Little, as well as the chemical company Degussa (today Evonik).
TONIT CALAWAY ELECTED TO AIR PRODUCTS’ BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Tonit Calaway has been elected to Air Products’ board of directors effective March 1, 2022. She will serve as a member of the Air Products board’s corporate governance and nominating committee and its management development and compensation committee.
Ms. Calaway is the Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, General Counsel and Secretary of BorgWarner Inc., a global product leader in delivering innovative and sustainable mobility solutions for the vehicle market. Before joining BorgWarner, she held various leadership positions during her 18-yr career at Harley-Davidson Inc., culminating in her role as Vice President, Human Resources and President of The Harley-Davidson Foundation. Prior to Harley-Davidson, Ms. Calaway worked for two Milwaukee-based law firms.
Ms. Calaway is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Chicago Law School. She is a member of the State Bar of Wisconsin.
HIMA APPOINTS BRAD OGILVIE AS NEW DIRECTOR OF GLOBAL ACCOUNTS
Brad Ogilvie has been named the new Director of Global Accounts and Large Project Pursuit at HIMA Group. This appointment further reinforces one of the company’s core values of delivering superior safety-related automation solutions on a global base.
Mr. Ogilvie is a qualified professional with certifications in engineering, business, sales and marketing. He began his career as a Controls Engineer and joined HIMA as a Field Service Engineer after moving to the Middle East in 2002. He has since carried out sales and management roles with multiple HIMA global entities, including the U.S., Canada and Sub-Sahara Africa. Since 2018, Mr. Ogilvie has led the HIMA Middle East Sales operations as Director of sales.
Brad Ogilvie
JEFF SMITH TO LEAD OIL, GAS AND CHEMICAL SECTOR AT BURNS & MCDONNELL CALGRAY OFFICE
Reinforcing a commitment to its Canadian clients, Burns & McDonnell is promoting Jeff Smith to lead the engineering, architecture and construction firm’s oil, gas & chemical group at its Calgary, Alberta regional office. The Calgary office offers full-service engineering, construction and consulting solutions in a variety of sectors.
Mr. Smith joined Burns & McDonnell in 2006 as a Process Engineer at the 100% employee-owned firm’s global headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri. He will transition into his new role in March.
He now leads the Burns & McDonnell team on a large renewable diesel project in California, which involves converting a petroleum refinery into a renewable fuels manufacturing facility. This project has involved over more than engineering staff and will position the facility well to support the client’s overall energy transition goals.
He has served in key leadership roles on numerous other projects, including Process Engineering Lead on a hydrogen plant project in Memphis, Tennessee; Engineering Manager for a grassroots gas plant in McClure, Oklahoma; engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) Project Manager for a refinery processing flexibility revamp project in Ponca City, Oklahoma; and EPC Project Manager for a new fractionation unit and overall facility expansion in Mont Belvieu, Texas.
Jeff Smith
CHINMAY J. UPADHYAT BECOMES REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENT, SOUTH ASIA FOR NIKKISO CLEAN ENERGY & GASES GROUP
Nikkiso Cryogenic Industries’ Clean Energy & Industrial Gases Group, a part of the Nikkiso Co. Ltd. (Japan) group of companies, has named Chinmay J. Upadhyat as Regional Vice President, South Asia region.
He will be based in Nikkiso Cosmodyne India Private Ltd., their large manufacturing and competence center in Gujarat India. This important addition to their management team is the result of growth in the market environment and is in line with the objectives of the Industrial Division of Nikkiso to better serve and support their customers in the Southern Asia Market.
Mr. Upadhyat began his career in 1995 as a Production Engineer with Anup Engineering and Inductotherm India, then served as Key Account Manager for 10 yr with Dresser Rand India. Since 2008, he has been Regional and then Assistant General Manager for Burckhardt Compression India, where he was responsible for sales and business development of new machines for the Indian market.
With his broad experience in the CNG, LNG, H2 and industrial gas markets in India, Mr. Upadhyat will lead the Nikkiso Clean Energy & Industrial Gases sales and service teams in this important region and embark on a mission to deliver market share growth in a sustainable and profitable way.
He earned a mechanical engineering degree from Government Polytechnic, Ahmedabad, a BS degree in technology from JNRVD University, Rajasthan, and an MBA from Sikkim Manipal University in Manipal.
Chinmay J. Upadhyat
HALDOR TOPSOE APPOINTS ELENA SCALTRITTI AS NEW CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER
Topsoe has appointed Elena Scaltritti as its new Chief Commercial Officer. She takes on her new position no later than July 1, 2022.
Ms. Scaltritti comes from a similar position as Executive Vice President at SONGWON Industrial Group (SONGWON), where she is responsible for the group’s commercial activities.
At SONGWON, based in Switzerland, Ms. Scaltritti has held various positions since joining in 2011. She holds a BSc degree in organic chemistry from University of Milan and an MBA from MIB Business Scholl Politecnico in Milan.
Elena Scaltritti
GE DIGITAL’S COLIN PARRIS ELECTED AS A MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERS (NAE)
GE Digital has announced that Chief Technology Officer, and an Officer of GE, Dr. Colin Parris, has been elected as a member of the prestigious National Academy of Engineers (NAE). Dr. Parris, Dr. Manoj Shah, an engineer with GE and GE Research, and John D. McDonald, smart grid business development leader, GE Grid Solutions, are among the 133 US and international members elected as part of the 2022 class.
Election as a member of the NAE is one of the most prestigious professional honors an engineer can receive. Members must be nominated by a peer, with nominations going through a year-long process before final selections are made. To be selected as a member, an engineer must demonstrate that they have helped to pioneer new developments in their field and made outstanding contributions in engineering.
As GE Digital’s Chief Technology Officer, Dr. Parris leads teams that leverage digital technologies in the energy industry and other industrial environments. He works across GE to accelerate business impact and transformation by combining lean principles with digital solutions. His expertise spans engineering, software and AI-driven analytics.
Working closely with some of GE’s biggest customers, he is leading a team that champions breakthrough technologies and capabilities to accelerate innovative solutions to solve emerging customer problems. Dr. Parris, an alum of GE Research, created and leads the Digital Twin Initiative across GE and is a board member of the Digital Twin Consortium.
Dr. Parris has been widely published, including his most recent participation in the latest World Economic Forum white paper, “Harnessing Artificial Intelligence to Accelerate the Energy Transition.” Because of his deep domain knowledge and expertise on artificial intelligence and digital twin technology, Dr. Parris has been regularly featured and interviewed by top international media outlets such as Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, POWER, Business Insider, Axios and CIO, among others. For more than 20 yr, Dr. Parris has been committed to the development and enhancement of STEM programs across minority communities and serves as a board member of Ambyese.
Dr. Colin Parris
CHEVRON CHAIRMAN AND CEO MIKE WIRTH ELECTED CHAIRMAN OF API BOARD
The American Petroleum Institute (API) has announced that Chevron Chairman and CEO Mike Wirth will serve as Chairman of API’s board of directors for a 2-yr term. Mr. Wirth succeeds Phillips 66 Chairman and CEO Greg Garland, who will remain a member of API’s executive committee.
Mr. Wirth was elected Chairman of the board and CEO of Chevron Corp. by Chevron’s board of directors in September 2017 and assumed the roles in February 2018. Prior to his current role, he served as Vice Chairman of the board in 2017 and Executive Vice President of Midstream & Development for Chevron Corp. from 2016–2018. In that role, he was responsible for supply and trading, shipping, pipeline and power operating units, as well as corporate strategy, business development and policy, government and public affairs.
He served as Executive Vice President of Downstream & Chemicals from 2006–2015 and as President of Global Supply and Trading from 2003–2006. Mr. Wirth serves on the board of directors of Catalyst and the executive committee of the International Business Council of the World Economic Forum. He is also a member of The Business Council, the National Petroleum Council, the Business Roundtable, the American Society of Corporate Executives, and the American Heart Association CEO Roundtable.
API represents all segments of America’s natural gas and oil industry, which supports more than 11 MM U.S. jobs and is backed by a growing grassroots movement of millions of Americans. Its nearly 600 members produce, process and distribute the majority of the nation’s energy, and participate in API Energy Excellence®, which is accelerating environmental and safety progress by fostering new technologies and transparent reporting. API was formed in 1919 as a standards-setting organization and has developed more than 700 standards to enhance operational and environmental safety, efficiency and sustainability.
ANTHONY VERBERGHT JOINS CARBOLINE AS NEW MANAGING DIRECTOR, CARBOLINE EUROPE
Anthony Verberght will join Carboline as Managing Director, Carboline Europe, effective February 28, 2022, reporting to Chris Tiernay, President and COO.
In his role, Mr. Verberght will be responsible for overseeing Europe's strategy development, growth and profitability in conjunction with the Carboline Executive Team. He will also drive the successful implementation of the European portion of the company’s global expansion project designed to significantly increase Carboline’s European business.
Mr. Verberght joins Carboline with more than 20 yr of experience in protective coatings, gained as an entrepreneur and in senior roles within the world's largest protective coatings company. He has held numerous positions throughout Europe and Asia.
Anthony Verberght
BURCKHARDT COMPRESSION APPOINTS VANESSA VALENTIN AS NEW CHRO AND MEMBER OF EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
Burckhardt Compression has appointed Vanessa Valentin as new Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) and member of the Executive Management. She will join Burckhardt Compression on August 1st, 2022 to succeed Sandra Pitt, who left the company at the end of December 2021.
Ms. Valentin is a Swiss citizen with a bachelor's degree in psychology at Sussex University, UK, and a master's degree in HR at the London School of Economics.
She brings many years of HR experience from leading international industrial companies like General Electric and Alstom Thermal Power, for which she has worked in Germany, the U.S., Italy, Australia and Switzerland. In these companies, she developed as leader in the field of HR, with particular expertise as HR partner, in building recruitment programs, in company mergers and various strategic HR projects.
Most recently, Ms. Valentin was Senior Vice President Human Resources and member of the Group Management Board at VAT Group. She actively supported the post-IPO in 2016 and set up the HR processes required for this major step.
Vanessa Valentin
ABB APPOINTS ANDREA ANTONELLI AS GENERAL COUNSEL AND COMPANY SECRETARY
ABB has named Andrea Antonelli as General Counsel and Member of the executive committee. He will succeed Maria Varsellona, who will leave the company to become Chief Legal Officer of Unilever. Furthermore, Mr. Antonelli will become ABB’s Company Secretary on March 24, 2022, following the Annual General Meeting.
Mr. Antonelli joined ABB in July 2020 and now serves as Global Business General Counsel of ABB’s Electrification Business Area. Prior to that, he was at the Tetra Pak Group, where he held various positions as regional general counsel including Vice President Legal Affairs of Global Commercial Operations. He has also worked for General Electric and Fluor Corporation, and in private practice at DLA Piper London offices.
He holds a law degree from the University of Florence, Italy and a master degree of laws (LLM) from King’s College, University of London, UK. He is a qualified lawyer in Italy and Spain and solicitor of England and Wales.
As of March 1, 2022, the Executive Committee will comprise: Björn Rosengren, Chief Executive Officer; Timo Ihamuotila, Chief Financial Officer; Tarak Mehta, President Electrification; Peter Terwiesch, President Process Automation; Morten Wierod, President Motion; Sami Atiya, President Robotics & Discrete Automation; Andrea Antonelli, General Counsel; Theodor Swedjemark, Chief Communications and Sustainability Officer; and Carolina Granat, Chief Human Resources Officer.
Andrea Antonelli
MCDERMOTT APPOINTS MICHAEL MCKELVY PRESIDENT AND CEO
McDermott International Ltd. has appointed Michael McKelvy as President and Chief Executive Officer. He will also serve as a member of McDermott's board of directors. Lee McIntire, who has been serving as interim CEO since June 2021, will continue as a member of McDermott's board of directors.
Mr. McKelvy has spent more than three decades working in the engineering and construction industry across the U.S. and international markets, including Europe and the Middle East. He previously led Gilbane Building Co. as President and CEO since 2014, where he was instrumental in record growth, profitable operations and a strong customer commitment.
Prior to joining Gilbane, Mr. McKelvy spent 26 yr at CH2M Hill, where he held multiple leadership positions and ultimately became Chief Delivery Officer of the company. In this position, he was responsible for project execution across all domestic and global regions with oversight of risk, safety, security, procurement and quality. He spent his early career in operations as an architect and project manager at C.H. Guernsey & Co. and Lockwood Greene, which became part of CH2M Hill.
Mr. McKelvy now serves on the board of directors for RPS Group Plc., a leading global professional services firm. He holds a BS degree in environmental design from the University of Oklahoma and a BA degree in architecture from Louisiana Tech University. He completed executive management programs at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, University of Michigan Ross School of Business, Thunderbird School of Global Management, Stanford University Graduate School of Business and Babson College.
Michael McKelvy
TECHNIP ENERGIES NAMES WEI CAI AS CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER
Technip Energies, a leading engineering and technology company for the energy transition, had named Dr. Wei Cai as Chief Technology Officer (CTO), replacing Stan Knez. Based in Houston, Texas, Dr. Wei joins the Group Executive committee effective February 1, reporting directly to Chief Executive Officer Arnaud Pieton.
In her CTO role, Dr. Wei will work with the executive committee and business leaders to continue to shape the company’s technology vision and strategy, and provide oversight to strategic implementation and R&D programs to meet growing business needs.
Dr. Wei Cai joined Technip Energies in November 2021 as Vice President Technology and Innovation to help shape, develop and implement the company’s technology strategies and accelerate business growth in energy transition.
Before joining Technip Energies, she spent more than 18 yr at GE Research, where she held various leadership roles, including General Manager of the GE Global Research Center in Shanghai, and later at GE Research headquarters in New York as Executive Business Program Manager, Executive Technology Director-Functional Materials and, more recently, as Executive Energy Transformation Technology Leader.
Dr. Wei also served a dual role as the Inclusion and Diversity leader for GE Research from 2020–2021. She holds a PhD in material chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has had more than 40 patents filed and has authored numerous journal articles.
Dr. Wei Cai
TRELLEBORG PROMOTES HEATHER CASTLEMEN TO DIRECTOR, MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS FOR MARKETING AMERICAS INDUSTRIAL
Trelleborg Sealing Solutions, one of the world’s leading developers, manufacturers and suppliers of precision seals, bearings and custom-molded polymer components, has appointed Heather Castleman as Director, Mergers & Acquisitions for Marketing Americas Industrial.
In this new role, Ms. Castleman will focus on accelerating growth through acquisitions in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Brazil. While Trelleborg is not new to acquisitions, Ms. Castleman’s work in this role will deliver a step-change improvement in both the development and implementation of a holistic acquisition strategy, as well as managing targets all the way through the acquisition process.
In addition to her new position, Ms. Castleman will continue in her current role as Senior Director, Strategy & Marketing for Marketing Americas, in which she identifies, researches and recommends opportunities to achieve business goals.
Ms. Castleman has been with Trelleborg since 2004. She has experience in strategic planning, continuous improvement, service leadership, training and coaching. She holds a BS degree in professional and technical communications from Rochester Institute of Technology in New York.
Heather Castleman
THIERRY PFLIMLIN APPOINTED NEW PRESIDENT, MARKETING AND SERVICES, MEMBER OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF TOTALENERGIES
Thierry Pflimlin has been named President, Marketing & Services and a TotalEnergies Executive Committee member.
Mr. Pflimlin started his career as Commercial Attaché at the French Embassy in Hanoi. In 1984, he joined the Total Group where he held a number of international positions.
After 5 yr as CEO of Total Asia Pacific in Singapore, he moved back to the head office in 2012 to become CEO of Total France. In July 2013, he became Senior Vice President Corporate Affairs in the Marketing & Services Division.
In 2016, he became the President of Total Global Services. In 2021, he was appointed President, Marketing and Services, and member of the Executive Committee of TotalEnergies.
Thierry Pflimlin is a graduate from the Strasbourg Political Studies Institute and the HEC Business School.
SCOTT REESE NAMED CEO OF GE DIGITAL
GE has appointed Scott Reese as Chief Executive Officer of GE Digital, effective February 22, 2022. Mr. Reese succeeds Patrick Byrne, who will continue at GE as CEO for the onshore wind business at GE Renewable Energy.
Mr. Reese joins GE from Autodesk, where he is Executive Vice President, product development and manufacturing solutions. He joined Autodesk in 2003 with the acquisition of VIA Development Corp. and has spent nearly two decades leading product and go-to-market initiatives across a wide range of industries, while driving aggressive growth with next-generation solutions for manufacturing. He also established Autodesk's cloud platform, products, operations and cybersecurity practices.
Mr. Reese also serves on the boards of The National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering Inc. and Model N, Inc., a leader in cloud-revenue management solutions.
Scott Reese
KP ENGINEERING APPOINTS WILLIAM E. PRESTON AS PRESIDENT AND CEO
KP Engineering LP (KPE), a leader in the design and execution of customized engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) solutions for the refining, syngas, hydrogen and renewable fuels industries, has named William E. (Bill) Preston as its new President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
Based in both Tyler, Texas and in Houston, Mr. Preston has served as KPE’s President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) since 2015. During that time, he has been responsible for leading significant growth and upholding KPE’s core operational values of respect and integrity. As CEO, he will be responsible for the overall direction, execution and global expansion of KPE.
Mr. Preston is a recognized process industry leader with 34 yr of experience successfully leading and growing technology-based businesses in the engineering, oil and gas, energy and chemical production sectors. Prior to joining KPE, he served in VP roles for companies including a division of Texaco and ChevronTexaco, Linc Energy, Synthesis Energy Systems and GreatPoint Energy. He also served as CEO of The Energy Capital Group, developing syngas and chemical production facilities in the petrochemical and oil refining industries.
He is joined in executive leadership by Michael Roberts, Senior Vice President of Operations; Mahesh Thadhani, Senior Vice President of Business Development; Doug Schnittker, Vice President of Projects; and Ken Fischer, Vice President of Technology.
Mr. Preston holds a BA degree in chemistry from Pomona College in Claremont, California, and an MS degree in chemical engineering from The University of Texas at Austin. He serves as the Executive Director of the Global Syngas Technologies Council, a premier trade association for the hydrogen and syngas industries.
William E. Preston
ORBITAL ENERGY GROUP ANNOUNCES CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER TRANSITION
Orbital Energy Group Inc. has appointed Nick Grindstaff as Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Grindstaff will replace Daniel Ford, who will remain with the company for a period of time to ensure a smooth transition.
Mr. Grindstaff has more than 20 yr of experience in the infrastructure services industry. Most recently, he served as Vice President – Finance and Treasurer at Quanta Services, a leading international provider of specialty contracting services. Mr. Grindstaff holds an MS degree in accounting and a BS degree in finance from the University of Houston – Clear Lake.
AMETEK NAMES DANIEL J. SKINNER AS VP AND GENERAL MANAGER, PROCESS & ANALYTICAL INSTRUMENTS (P&AI) DIVISION
AMETEK Inc. has appointed Daniel J. Skinner as Vice President and General Manager, AMETEK Process & Analytical Instruments (P&AI) division. Mr. Skinner now serves as Divisional VP and Business Unit Manager for the company’s Energy & Process Instrumentation business. He will be replacing Jim Davis, who will assume leadership of AMETEK's Measurement, Communications & Testing (MC&T) division.
Mr. Skinner joined AMETEK in 1993 and served in a variety of technical and commercial roles before being appointed Business Manager of AMETEK’s HDR Power Systems business in 2004. He was subsequently promoted to Business Unit Manager for the company’s Upstream Oil and Gas business, a role he held until expanding his responsibilities leading the Energy & Process Instrumentation business in 2018.
He holds a BS degree in electrical and electronics engineering and an MBA, both from Ohio University.
This leadership change with go into effect January 1, 2022.
IMUBIT APPOINTS DEPARTMENT HEADS TO LEAD PRODUCT, INFRASTRUCTURE AND PEOPLE
Imubit, a leader of artificial intelligence (AI) process optimization for refiners and chemical operators, has appointed Robin McCaffrey as Head of People, Ran Rosin as Head of Product, and Shlomi Zohar as Head of Infrastructure.
Ms. McCaffrey leads the global human resources (HR) team, attracting, developing and retaining extraordinary talent worldwide and promoting a culture of excellence within Imubit. She brings more than 20 yr of global HR experience, having worked for o9 Solutions, Toyota and Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Ms. McCaffrey holds a degree in business management.
Mr. Rosin has more than 20 yr of leadership experience in the tech industry. Before joining Imubit, he was the Director of product management at Imperva, where he initiated and led Imperva’s cloud data security SaaS platform. Prior to that, Mr. Rosin was a Co-founder and led the product at Nobex Partners, a self-served audio mobile platform with tens of millions of global users. He earned an EMBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, and a degree in mechanical engineering from Tel Aviv University.
Mr. Zohar joined Imubit with 25 yr of experience in senior information technology (IT) leadership positions in global high tech and product organizations. Prior to joining Imubit, he served as the global IT Director at Sisense, where he led IT and cybersecurity throughout the company’s journey from a small startup to a mature leading firm. Mr. Zohar also served as the Global Director of IT and hosting services at Traiana Technologies, where he drove the company through a remarkable transition from a traditional IT infrastructure-based services firm to a fully-automated, cloud-based, redundant and resilient service provider, serving the 50 largest global banks. He holds a degree in computer science from Tel-Aviv University.
Robin McCaffrey
Ran Rosin
Shlomi Zohar
LYONDELLBASELL APPOINTS PETER VANACKER AS NEW CEO
LyondellBasell revealed that the board of directors has appointed Peter Vanacker, President and CEO of Neste Corp., as its new Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Vanacker succeeds Bhavesh V. "Bob" Patel, who will retire from the company on December 31, 2021, as previously announced.
Mr. Vanacker will assume his role no later than June 2022, upon satisfaction of the notice period under his current employment agreement, at which time he will also join the company's board of directors. The board also announced that Kenneth (Ken) Lane, Executive Vice President, Global Olefins & Polyolefins (O&P) for LyondellBasell, will serve as interim CEO upon Mr. Patel's retirement.
Mr. Vanacker brings more than 30 yr of industry experience to his new role, including serving as President and CEO of Neste, an industry-leading renewable products company that has seen substantial growth and transformation under his leadership since 2018. Prior to that role, Mr. Vanacker was CEO and Managing Director of the CABB Group, a leader in the fine chemicals global market, and he was CEO and Managing Director of Treofan Group, a global leader in the polypropylene films business. He previously had a succession of roles at Bayer AG, including as EVP and Head of the Global Polyurethanes business and member of the executive committee of Bayer Material Science, now Covestro. During his tenure with Bayer, he worked across various subsidiaries, including in Belgium, Brazil, Germany and the U.S. He is the Chair of the advisory board for the European Institute for Industrial Leadership and a member of the supervisory board of Symrise AG.
Peter Vanacker
VMA ANNOUNCES NEW LEADERSHIP
The Valve Manufacturers Association of America (VMA) membership has elected the 2021–2022 board of directors, following the announcement of the slate of candidates at its Annual Meeting, which took place in October. VMA’s Chairman of the Board for the 2021–2022 year is Ron Warren, President/COO of Bray International Inc., based out of Houston.
Mr. Warren is President and COO of Bray International Inc. With more than 45 yr of international experience in the flow control industry, he has served in a senior executive position at Bray International Inc. for the last 10 yr.
Matt Theil, President, AUMA Actuators Inc., will serve as the 2021–2022 Vice Chairman of the Board and Treasurer. Other members of the executive committee include: Nathan Brunell, Product Line General Manager, Baker Hughes; Andy Duffy, Vice President Sales, Emerson/ASCO; and Arie Bregman, Vice President and General Manager of DFT Inc., who serves as Immediate Past Chair.
In addition to the executive committee, the following VMA members are returning as Board members:
- Alejandro (Alex) Alcala, Senior Vice-President, Crane Co.
- Mark Claffey, President, Trillium Valves USA
- Andrew Duffy, Vice President Sales, ASCO
- Seth Guterman, CEO, American Valve
- David Loula, Director, Global Products and Markets, ITT Engineered Valves
- Kevin McKown, General Manager, Curtiss-Wright Nuclear
- Kevin J. Tinsley, SVP Global Operations, Neles
- Rob Velan, Executive Vice-President, MRO & Aftermarket and Vice-Chairman of the Board, Velan Valve Corporation
- Kirk Wilson, President, Flowserve, Flow Control Division
- Brian Wright, President/CEO, A-T Controls
The board of directors also approved Danilo Garcia, President, RF Valves Inc., to the board, serving a 3-yr term. Mr. Garcia has more than 20 yr of management, sales and engineering experience in the valve and industrial markets, with a focus on the mining, industrial, municipal, chemical and power industries. He became President of RF Valves in 2013 after serving in sales roles for 3 yr. Prior to that, he was with General Electric - Dresser-Masoneilan, Synqor Inc. and Maritech Inc.
Ron Warren
SUNDYNE APPOINTS RODNEY VINEGAR AS CHIEF HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER AND VP OF ENVIRONMENTAL, HEALTH & SAFETY
On January 3, 2022, Rodney Vinegar will be joining Sundyne, a global leader in the design and manufacture of mission critical pumps and compressors, as the company’s new Chief Human Resources Officer and VP of Environmental, Health and Safety.
In this role, Mr. Vinegar will enhance the professional development of Sundyne’s global workforce. The team he leads will guide Sundyne’s growth by attracting additional talent that fits Sundyne’s culture and its knack for innovation and technical problem solving. He will also focus on enhancing Sundyne’s EH&S (Environmental, Health and Safety) and ESG (Environmental Social and Corporate Governance) practices, to promote safety, sustainability and environmental responsibility at all of Sundyne’s facilities around the globe.
Mr. Vinegar brings extensive human resources and leadership experience to Sundyne. He most recently worked at the Brace Industrial Group of Houston, where he developed and led the successful execution of a multi-year HR strategy. During his 25-yr professional career, Mr. Vinegar has been responsible for talent management, professional development, HR strategy, merger integration, workers’ compensation, safety processes and policies, labor relations and HR operations with global companies, including UBS Investment Bank, Colgate Palmolive, Sanofi, PepsiCo and Ashland Chemical.
He is a native Kentuckian and the proud father of three. As a member of the Kentucky Bar Association, he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration and juris doctor at the University of Kentucky. Mr. Vinegar will be based out of Arvada, Colorado and will report directly to Sundyne’s CEO Mary Zappone.
Rodney Vinegar
IMUBIT APPOINTS NEW VICE PRESIDENTS TO SERVE GLOBAL SALES AND CUSTOMER SUCCESS
Imubit, a leader of artificial intelligence (AI) process optimization for refiners and chemical operators, has appointed Kelly Harred as VP of customer success and Roland Schneefuss as VP and Head of global sales.
Bringing 30 yr of industry and software experience serving customers, building high-performance teams and fostering operational excellence, Ms. Harred will be responsible for leading her team to ensure clients are successful in accelerating, maximizing and sustaining value through Imubit’s end-to-end technology and services solutions. Prior to joining Imubit, she held Senior VP positions at AspenTech. Ms. Harred holds a BS degree in electrical engineering from the University of Tennessee, U.S., and an MBA from the University of Houston.
Mr. Schneefuss will be responsible for revenue growth and go-to-market strategies. He has more than 15 yr of experience in leading presales, solution delivery and consultancy for enterprise-level software solutions and professional digitalization consulting services to F500 and mid-market companies in the oil and gas, power, utilities, chemical, pulp and paper, and other process manufacturing industries. Prior to joining Imubit, Mr. Schneefuss served in a variety of VP positions at AVEVA. He is a veteran of the German Armed Forces and holds both an MBA in industrial engineering and an MS degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Darmstadt, Germany.
Kelly Harred
Roland Schneefuss
PILOT CHEMICAL PROMOTES MIKE CLARK TO CEO
The board of directors of Pilot Chemical Corp., a privately owned and independent global specialty chemical company, has unanimously approved the promotion of Mike Clark to Chief Executive Officer (CEO) effective January 1, 2022. He will report to the board of directors.
Mr. Clark joined Pilot in 2018 as Chief Operating Officer (COO), bringing with him more than 30 yr of experience in the industry. A year later he was named President, and since January 1, 2021, he has been leading the company as President and COO. He oversees 10 locations and more than 400 employees.
Prior to Pilot, he served as Vice President – Organics at Sasol Performance Chemicals in Houston, Texas. During his tenure at Sasol, Mr. Clark held management positions in sales and marketing, business development and strategic planning. Prior to that, he served in management roles for CONDEA Chemie (later Sasol O&S) in Germany. Mr. Clark is a native of Hamilton, Ohio and began his career with Vista Chemical Co. He holds BS degrees in zoology and marketing from Miami University.
Mike Clark
H2TECH PUBLISHER, EDITOR NAMED AS 2021 TOP WOMEN IN MEDIA HONOREES
H2Tech’s Publisher, Catherine Watkins, and Editor-in-Chief, Adrienne Blume, have both been selected as 2021 Top Women in Media honorees. Ms. Watkins was recognized in the category of “Entrepreneurs” as someone who has launched or rebuilt brands and continues to work tirelessly towards their success. Ms. Blume was awarded recognition in the category “Change-Makers” for women who have successfully altered the course of their brands or the industry for the better.
The Top Women in Media Awards are presented by AdMonsters and Folio to honor women who are making a significant impact in the publishing industry.
Ms. Watkins joined Gulf Energy Information (Gulf) in Houston, Texas as Publisher of Hydrocarbon Processing and Gas Processing & LNG five years ago, after working as a successful Sales Manager in Europe and the Middle East. She took on the role of Publisher with a solid understanding of advertisers’ needs and balances it with her deep respect for editorial integrity.
She believes that communication and collaboration are critical to success and has maintained and grown strong relationships throughout the male-dominated refining and petrochemical industry. She forged partnerships and developed collaborative relationships with many stakeholder organizations to increase circulation and visibility with professionals at various stages of their careers, from entry-level engineers to CEOs of some of the largest companies in the world.
This connection with the industry has allowed her to quickly launch successful new products. Last year, she recognized the need for a publication to serve the hydrogen community, a rapidly growing segment of the clean energy sector. She and her team quickly responded by launching H2Tech, along with a biweekly newsletter, podcast and technical conference, all within the span of a few months. This drive to create an informative, well-respected publication to help move the world’s energy needs to a more sustainable path has already garnered significant praise from industry leaders around the world.
Ms. Blume has a demonstrated history of superior editorial management for technical journals, including two successful brand launches within an eight-year period (H2Tech in 2021 and Gas Processing & LNG in 2013) while simultaneously co-managing a flagship third brand (Hydrocarbon Processing). Her launch of H2Tech earlier this year is contributing to the energy industry’s move toward a more sustainable future by providing engineers and managers with proven technologies and case studies.
Her industry reach extends well beyond media brand leadership, with frequent invitations to speak as a subject matter expert at international energy conferences and trade association events. These opportunities allow her to discuss solutions with industry experts working in many different areas of energy technology around the world, in a technical and male-dominated industry.
She enjoys connecting professionals to one another by helping build high-level speaker agendas for Gulf's numerous energy, technology and women's leadership events. Additionally, she brings expert insights to the hydrogen community as the host of the H2TechTalk podcast.
She considers the driving factors behind her career growth and success to be a deep interest in technology and energy, ongoing collaboration with her community of colleagues, and the desire to contribute to the expansion of technical knowledge for the betterment of the planet.
The honorees were celebrated at a luncheon on December 1 at the Edison Ballroom in New York City.
Catherine Watkins
Adrienne Blume
DUPONT SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS ANNOUNCES NEW MEMBERS TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS
DuPont Sustainable Solutions (DSS) has appointed new members to its board of directors as the company continues to grow its global expertise in protecting people, transforming operations and creating a sustainable future.
George Serafeim, John Richard and Srinivasan Ramabhadran have assumed their new roles on DSS’ board of directors.
Mr. Serafeim, regarded as one of the world’s foremost thought leaders and academics in ESG, is the Charles M. Williams Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School and Co-founder of KKS Advisors, a leading global ESG consulting firm that was acquired by DSS in July 2021. Mr. Serafeim’s participation on the board of directors will provide DSS important strategic direction as it develops and delivers integrated transformation solutions to clients seeking to successfully make investment decisions for the long term, taking ESG factors into account.
Mr. Richard is Global Vice President and General Manager of DuPont’s Safety business, a role in which he has full global responsibility for delivering sustainable growth and profitability for four DuPont product lines: Kevlar®, Nomex®, Tyvek® and Typar®. Mr. Richard’s position on DSS’ board of directors will ensure DSS continues to be forward-thinking in its core client solutions relating to safety and risk management. Mr. Richard replaces Rose Lee, who departed DSS’ board of directors on September 6.
Mr. Ramabhadran is the Regional Managing Director, Asia-Pacific for DSS, a position in which he supports multiple client engagements across the Asia-Pacific region involving cultural transformation, operations risk management, operational excellence and digital innovation. Mr. Ramabhadran has held various leadership positions throughout his 19 yr with DSS, and he will play a critical role on DSS’ board of directors to advise and guide the company’s strategic growth in the Asia-Pacific region.
George Serafeim
John Richard
Srinivasan Ramabhadran
KP ENGINEERING APPOINTS MAHESH THADHANI AS SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
KP Engineering LP (KPE), a leader in the design and execution of customized EPC solutions for the refining, syngas, hydrogen and renewable fuels industries, has named Mahesh Thadhani as Senior Vice President of business development.
Based in Houston, Mr. Thadhani will be responsible for managing key client relationships and growing KPE’s client base through careful strategic planning. He brings almost 30 yr of experience in Vice President, business development and engineering roles for companies including Wood Plc., URS Corp., CH2M HILL and Fluor. He also continues to serve on the executive advisory committee for the Engineering, Construction and Contracting (ECC) Association.
Mr. Thadhani holds a degree in chemical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Mahesh Thadhani
SEEQ APPOINTS DR. LISA J. GRAHAM AS CEO AND ANNOUNCES CHANGES TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The board of directors of Seeq Corp., a leader in manufacturing and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) advanced analytics software, has appointed former Chief Operating Officer (COO) Dr. Lisa J. Graham as CEO. Former CEO and Co-founder Steve Sliwa will remain at Seeq in an advisory role as Vice Chairman and Co-founder. Seeq also appointed Ashley Kramer to the company’s board of directors.
Leveraging her experience driving innovation in the process industries and with IIoT-focused organizations, Dr. Graham will focus on reinforcing a strong culture, while rapidly scaling the organization to achieve growth and revenue goals.
Dr. Graham previously served as COO and VP of Analytics Engineering at Seeq, where she played an instrumental role in executing the company’s vision to fuel the digital transformation of the process industries. This required empowering Seeq's customers to bridge the gap between their operational technology and information technology teams through the use of easy-to-use, advanced analytics applications. Prior to joining Seeq, she served as CEO and founder of Alkemy Innovation, an engineering services company. She also served as COO and SVP at Bend Research, now part of Lonza.
In parallel, Ashley Kramer has been named to the board of directors, bringing more than 15 yr of experience to Seeq, gained during scaling of hypergrowth companies. Ms. Kramer serves as the Chief Product Officer and Chief Marketing Officer at Sisense, where she is responsible for leading its go-to-market and product strategy, brand awareness and revenue growth. Previously, she held positions as Senior VP of product for Alteryx, where she drove the company's transformation to a data science platform, and Global Head of loud for Tableau, where she built the company’s fastest-growing and only SaaS product from the ground up.
Dr. Lisa J. Graham
JŌB INDUSTRIAL SERVICES NAMES STEVE WENDEL AS PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
Jōb Industrial Services (Jōb), an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) company serving the oil and gas, power, materials and chemical industries, has named Steve Wendel as President and Chief Operating Officer (COO).
Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S., Mr. Wendel has served as Jōb’s COO for the past 7 yr. In taking on the additional role of President, he will be responsible for the overall success of the company, providing strong leadership for the company’s other executives, establishing policies that promote company culture and vision, and developing long-term strategies for growth.
Mr. Wendel holds a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Utah.
Steve Wendel
MOTION NAMES VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS INTEGRATION
Motion Industries Inc., a leading distributor of maintenance, repair and operation replacement parts, and a premier provider of industrial technology solutions, has promoted John Watwood to Vice President of operations integration.
Mr. Watwood moves to this position from Vice President/Group Executive for the Southeast, to which he was promoted in 2019. In his new and expanded role, he will be responsible for Motion’s distribution/fulfillment network, branch operations support and enterprise excellence. He will report to Joe Limbaugh, Executive Vice President of supply chain, operations support, marketing and enterprise excellence.
Mr. Watwood has more than 20 yr of experience in various sales and operations roles in both manufacturing and distribution—including his employment with Motion Industries, which began in 2008. In addition, he played an integral role in the development and deployment of Motion’s Project Challenge, a pilot that transformed a traditional branch structure into a territory-based sales area supported by a local fulfillment center.
A graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (BS degree in industrial distribution and marketing), Mr. Watwood also earned an MBA at the University of North Alabama.
John Watwood
VALVE INDUSTRY VETERAN JOINS OXFORD FLOW AS CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER
Oxford Flow, a flow control equipment specialist for the oil, gas, industrial process and water industries, has appointed ex-Severn Glocon Global CEO, Colin Findlay, as Chief Strategy Officer ahead of planned global growth and diversification.
Mr. Findlay, an energy industry expert, brings more than 40 yr of experience, including 13 yr as Executive Director and a further 2 yr as Chief Executive of the Severn Glocon Global Group. Since 2018, he has also held the position of Chairman and Industry Lead at the UK’s valve industry body, British Valve & Actuator Association (BVAA).
He also has a successful track record in strategic operations, diversification and regional expansion, as well as large-scale investment deals. Findlay’s role will guide the strategic planning for market penetration, flexible manufacturing, industrial partnerships and the continued development of the company’s innovative team of technologists as it grows scale and value—particularly within the oil and gas, refining, hydrogen and gas distribution industries.
In addition, Oxford Flow has continued to strengthen its executive team with the appointment of Kirsten Phipps Get as Director of HR. Ms. Phipps Get brings more than three decades of human resources, people and operational management experience, and her role will involve enhancing the company’s capabilities in talent attraction and retention, and people development as the company continues to grow.
Colin Findlay
SGH APPOINTS JAMES PARKER TO CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND NIKLAS VIGENER TO CHIEF TECHNICAL OFFICER
The Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH) board of directors will appoint a new executive partnership to lead the firm, effective 1 January 2022. James Parker will become SGH’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), focusing on the firm’s strategic direction and corporate initiatives. Niklas Vigener will take on a new role as Chief Technical Officer (CTO), leading SGH's technical professionals, fostering leadership growth, advancing innovation and research efforts, and promoting integrated engineering solutions.
Mr. Parker and Mr. Vigener have enjoyed a successful partnership for several years as SGH's technical group heads, with Mr. Parker serving as Head of Structural Engineering and Structural Mechanics, and Mr. Vigener as Head of Building Technology. Together, they established the overall strategic direction and standards for technical excellence for their respective groups and will look to further those efforts as they lead a combined technical and operational organization. Both leaders have longstanding careers at SGH and bring diverse technical experiences and award-winning project achievements to their new roles. Both executives are also vocal mentors, focused on encouraging and developing future leaders at SGH.
James Parker
NiklasVigener
JOHNSON MATTHEY APPOINTS ALBERTO GIOVANZANA AS MANAGING DIRECTOR OF CATALYST TEHNOLOGIES
Johnson Matthey (JM), a global leader in sustainable technologies, has appointed Alberto Giovanzana as Managing Director of Catalyst Technologies.
Mr. Giovanzana joins JM from BASF, where he most recently served as Senior Vice President and Head of Global Technology for the €2-B Nutrition and Health Division. Prior to this, he ran BASF’s Plastic Additives business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and has also held various marketing and operations roles.
In his new role, Mr. Giovanzana will leverage the deep technical expertise at JM in the field of process catalysts. He will drive collaboration with customers to harness the many business opportunities that the energy transition and circular economy are providing. This will significantly contribute towards JM’s vision of a cleaner and healthier world, today and for future generations.
Alberto Giovanzana
LINDE BOARD ELECTS TWO NEW DIRECTORS AND ADDS SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE
The board of directors of Linde Plc. has elected Joe Kaeser and Alberto Weisser as new Directors of Linde Plc., effective November 1, 2021. Mr. Kaeser will serve on the Nomination and Governance and the Human Capital Committees, and Mr. Weisser will serve on the Audit and the Sustainability Committees.
Mr. Kaeser and Mr. Weisser are highly regarded senior executives who bring a wealth of global experience to the Linde Plc. board of directors. Mr. Kaeser served as Chief Financial Officer of Siemens AG from 2006–2013 and then as Chief Executive Officer of Siemens AG until his retirement in 2021. He now chairs the supervisory board of Siemens Energy AG, is Vice Chairman of the board of NXP Semiconductors and a member of the supervisory board of Daimler Truck AG.
Mr. Weisser served as Chief Financial Officer of Bunge International from 1993–1998 and as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Bunge from 1999–2013. He now serves on the boards of Pepsico and Bayer AG.
The board of directors has also added a sustainability committee, which will be responsible for board oversight of Linde's strategy and policies related to climate change, including greenhouse gas reduction goals and decarbonization solutions, such as clean hydrogen and carbon capture.
The board has also renamed the compensation committee as the human capital committee, reflecting that committee's enhanced oversight of policies, practices and goals related to Linde's workforce generally, including diversity and inclusion, safety and community engagement.
ORBITAL ENERGY GROUP APPOINTS THE HONORABLE LA DORIS HARRIS AS CHIEF DIVERSITY OFFICER AND CEO OF ORBITAL SOLAR SERVICES
Orbital Energy Group Inc. has appointed The Honorable La Doris (Dot) Harris as the company’s Chief Diversity Officer and CEO for its subsidiary, Orbital Solar Services (OSS).
Hon. Harris has more than 30 yr of leadership and executive management experience in both the private and public sectors. Hon. Harris served as Director of the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity, which included the role of Chief Diversity Officer at the DOE during President Barack Obama’s administration. Throughout her career, Hon. Harris has held positions ranging from engineer to corporate officer. She was an executive at General Electric (GE), leading several of its Energy and Industrial Systems businesses. Previously, Hon. Harris was the first African American female officer at ABB Inc. She also spent 12 yr with Westinghouse Electric, where she was named the youngest African American manager in the history of its Nuclear Services division.
Hon. Harris holds a BS degree in electrical engineering from the University of South Carolina, an MS degree in technology management from Southern Polytechnic University, and holds honorary PhDs from Chicago State University and Clark Atlanta University.
La Doris Harris
MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC AUTOMATION INC. PROMOTES MILTON COLEMAN TO SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF SALE AND MARKETING
Mitsubishi Electric Automation Inc. has promoted Milton Coleman to Senior Vice President of sales and marketing. Mr. Coleman has 30 yr of experience in the automation industry, and previously held the position of VP of sales at the company. In his new role, Mr. Coleman will focus on improving alignment between sales and marketing.
Before joining Mitsubishi Electric Automation, he spent 23 yr at Bosch Rexroth. He started his career as a product specialist and application engineer for the linear motion group, and assumed roles with increasing responsibility including Product Manager, Distribution Sales Manager, and Manager of sales and product management.
In 2010, Mr. Coleman moved to the position of Regional Sales Manager for factory automation, where he added Bosch Rexroth electric drives, controls and servos to his product portfolio. In 2012, he assumed the role of Regional VP of sales. In this position, he led a team of sales and application engineers focused on factory automation and hydraulic technologies and developed successful growth strategies for key accounts in the northeast, southeast and southwest regions.
Milton Coleman
AMETEK LAND NAMES JESPER KRISTIANSEN AS ITS SENIOR DIRECTOR OF GLOBAL SALES
AMETEK Land, a world leader in high accuracy, non-contact temperature measurement systems, has appointed Jesper Kristiansen as its Senior Director of global sales. In his new role, Mr. Kristiansen will have full responsibility for leading AMETEK Land's commercial strategies, working with the global sales teams to maintain its market-leading position in metals and power markets. He will also have the goal of accelerating growth in the glass, hydrocarbon, and industrial processing markets.
The appointment is part of an organizational change that will see the Directors of sales in America and Asia, and all European Regional Sales Managers, report directly to this new position.
A member of the AMETEK team for 17 yr, Mr. Kristiansen has held a variety of sales and marketing management roles and was most recently Director of global sales for the AMETEK Sensor Test & Calibration. He has a degree in business studies from The Esbjerg Business Academy, Denmark, and lives in Hareskovby, north of the Danish capital Copenhagen, with his family. He will report directly to Justin Smith, Divisional Vice President/Business Unit Manager of AMETEK Land.
Jesper Kristiansen
SERVOMAK ANNOUNCES NEW REGIONAL SALES MANAGER FOR FRANCE AND AFRICA
Servomex, a world leader in gas analysis, has appointed Anoulak Elfassi as Regional Sales Manager for France and Africa. Mr. Elfassi will manage sales relationships for Servomex’s Industrial Process & Emissions (IP&E) division, covering customers based in power generation, hydrocarbon processing and emissions monitoring markets, as well as manage critical relationships with contractors, system integrators and procurement houses.
An experienced manager, Mr. Elfassi’s previous roles include sales management for a gas chromatograph manufacturer; business development for temperature, humidity, CO2 rate or differential pressure monitoring and traceability devices; and, as part of his studies, positions at Airbus in France and at TRAD Tests & Radiations in the U.S.
Highly educated in the theory and application of analytical measurements, Mr. Elfassi holds an MS degree in applied physics, with a specialization in instrumentation innovative smart systems, and a specialized Masters degree in industrial businesses (MSIAI).
He will work alongside Stephane Barret, Regional Sales Manager for Servomex’s Purity & Specialty division, which serves the industrial gas, medical gas and semiconductor markets in France and Africa.
Anoulak Elfassi
PARFAB COMPANIES ANNOUNCES LEADERSHIP APPOINTMENTS TO ACCELERATE LONG-TERM BUSINESS GOALS
ParFab Companies, a U.S.-based, global leader in turnaround, general mechanical, fired heater, reformer and fabrication services, has made several appointments across its leadership team and board of directors that will enhance the company's execution of its strategic initiatives and growth strategy. Jay A. Smith has joined ParFab as its Chief Financial Officer, and Robert Kent, Mike McGinnis, and Chris Swinbank have been appointed to the ParFab board of directors.
As CFO, Mr. Smith will accelerate ParFab's business goals and continue to build upon its strong financial foundation. With more than 20 yr of international and domestic leadership experience, he understands the importance of developing and implementing business strategies globally to improve revenue streams. Most recently, Mr. Smith held the position of CFO and Executive Operational Leader at Xcaliber Intl., where he collaborated with the board of directors to establish business objectives, future revenue growth strategies and operational excellence. He has also held general manager, finance and controller roles at OSECO Inc. and Delphi Automotive.
Mr. Kent is a seasoned industrials professional. His extensive knowledge of the industry and operations will enable ParFab to continuously improve its safe and effective execution of projects. Mr. Kent serves as President of REK Energy, an independent consulting company specializing in downstream refining, renewable fuels and petrochemicals. Previously, he served in many roles at CITGO Petroleum Corp., most recently as the Executive Vice President, Refining, and in prior engineering, management and technical roles across Koch Industries and Chevron Corp. Mr. Kent also sits on the boards of Tor Minerals and Sinclair Oil Corp.
Mike McGinnis is an experienced board member and senior advisor who will leverage his past experiences in spearheading organizations to operate to their fullest potential, ensuring ParFab continues to provide its customers with safe, high-quality solutions while maintaining operational excellence. Mr. McGinnis previously served as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Brock Group, a leading provider of industrial specialty services. He held prior executive positions across a variety of companies, including B&G Crane Service, and XServ (which was acquired by Brock Group in 2007), among others. Mr. McGinnis has extensive board experience, dating back more than 25 yr, and holds board memberships in Platform Partners LLC and The Taurus Group. He also serves as Co-Chairman of the board of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Texas Gulf Coast Chapter.
Chris Swinbank is a distinguished business leader who brings a diverse perspective that will support ParFab in enhancing its environmental excellence and position the company to exceed industry standards. Mr. Swinbank previously served as Chief Executive Officer and board member of NRC Group, a global provider of environmental, compliance and waste management services. Prior to that, he served as CEO of Sprint Energy Services and in executive roles as Founder and CEO of Triton Oilfield Services and Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Sprint Industrial Holdings, d/b/a Tidal Tank and Sprint Safety. Mr. Swinbank also serves on the board of Loan Star Disposal LP.
WOLFGANG SAUTTER APPOINTED CEO OF HOERGIBER’S STRATEGIC BUSINESS UNIT COMPRESSION TECHNOLOGY; RAFAEL BACHER APPOINTED HEAD OF SALE AND PRODUCT MANAGEMENT
The Board of Directors of HOERBIGER Holding AG, Zug, Switzerland, has appointed Wolfgang Sautter as a member of the executive board and Chief Executive Officer of the company’s Strategic Business Unit Compression Technology. Mr. Sautter succeeds Udo Bauer, who has resigned from his position.
Mr. Sautter began his career at HOERBIGER in May 2017 as Head of the Compressor Service Division, where he played a key role in successfully advancing the company’s global service business. Before joining HOERBIGER, he managed various sales and management responsibilities at Voith Turbo in Germany and the U.S., most recently as the Senior Vice President of Service for Voith Turbo.
Rafael Bacher has been appointed Head of Sales and Product Management. Mr. Sautter's previous position as Head of Sales and Product Management of the Strategic Business Unit Compression Technology will be taken over by Mr. Bacher.
Mr. Bacher was most recently Head of Service Area Europe and Middle East & Africa for HOERBIGER and was responsible for implementing successful service strategies in both regions. In this position, he developed a strong service team and played a key role in driving forward advancements focused on customer benefits.
Wolfgang Sautter Rafael Bacher
NDT GLOBAL APPOINTS NEW PRESIDENT
NDT Global has appointed Trevor MacFarlane to the role of President. Mr. MacFarlane previously served as the President and CEO of Dynamic Risk, a company acquired by NDT Global's parent company, Eddyfi/NDT, in March of 2021.
He spent 20 yr at Dynamic Risk in engineering, business development and leadership roles, helping to drive the company to new heights. Mr. MacFarlane previously spent 7 yr at TransCanada Pipelines, now TC Energy, giving him significant exposure to the operational and financial needs of pipeline operators.
In his new role, Mr. MacFarlane will be focused on expanding the company’s technology leading product portfolio, improving its ability to quickly bring new technologies to market, enhancing and building client relationships, and ensuring that the company is agile and responsive to client needs. In addition, he will drive efforts to enhance company culture, ensuring positive perception by employees and customers alike.
He holds BS and MS degrees in materials and metallurgical engineering from Queens University.
Trevor MacFarlane
WOOD STRENGTHENS LEADERSHIP TEAM WITH APPOINTMENT OF NEW CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
Wood has appointed Ken Gilmartin as new Chief Operating Officer (COO) and the latest member of the company’s executive leadership team. Mr. Gilmartin joins Wood as a direct replacement for existing COO, Dave Stewart, who will retire at the end of the year following an illustrious 25-yr career at Wood.
As part of his new role, Mr. Gilmartin will assume responsibility for execution excellence, operational assurance, and optimizing and digitalizing the way Wood delivers work to its global client base. He will also lead the recently formed Operational Committee and build on the strong momentum in place as part of the strategic focus on building a consistent, high-quality way of working across Wood.
Ken Gilmartin
XRG TECHNOLOGIES MAKES TWO KEY HIRES
XRG Technologies has made two key hires: Derrik Totty as Project Engineer, and Adam Henderson as Senior Application Engineer.
Mr. Totty has a BS degree in mechanical engineering from Oklahoma State University and is working on his MS degree in engineering management at Arkansas State University. He has been in the fired equipment industry for more than 14 yr and will focus on project engineering and management.
Mr. Henderson earned an MS degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Tulsa and has 19 yr of oil and gas engineering experience. His new role includes sales, process design and application engineering.
XRG Technologies is an engineering and procurement firm specializing in fired equipment for the refining, petrochemical and power markets.
HOERBIGER APPOINTS DR. THORSTEN KAHLERT AS CEO
The HOERBIGER board of directors has appointed Dr. Thorsten Kahlert as CEO and Chairman of the executive board, succeeding Dr. Jürgen Zeschky, who will retire at the end of 2021.
Dr. Kahlert joined HOERBIGER in April 2017 as Head of the Safety Division. Previously, he worked for 13 yr for the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in various positions and countries. In addition to safety, Dr. Kahlert was responsible for several other divisions at HOERBIGER in the following years, including rotary solutions, engine, automotive hydraulics and electronics. He has been a member of the HOERBIGER executive board since August 2019.
After six years of successful work for the HOERBIGER Group, Dr. Zeschky will retire at the end of 2021. He joined HOERBIGER at the beginning of 2016. Under his leadership, the strategic business units and divisions were successfully realigned. Together with his team, he played a very significant role in the focused and economically sound positioning that has strengthened HOERBIGER for the future. This period also included the successful acquisition of Deublin and the establishment of the rotary solutions division, as well as the excellent management of the effects of the COVID crisis on HOERBIGER.
To ensure a smooth handover, Dr. Kahlert will assume his new role as early as October 1, 2021. Dr. Zeschky will continue to be fully available to the HOERBIGER Group during the transition phase until December 31, 2021.
Dr. Thorsten Kahlert
S&B WELCOMES NEW CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER
S&B welcomes Sam Mavalwalla to the S&B family of companies, where he will serve as Chief Information Officer (CIO) reporting to Sandy Lee, SVP of Project Services. Mr. Mavalwalla joins S&B from Just Energy, where he served as CIO and VP of business intelligence before that. While at Just Energy, he led a global team of IT professionals and directed its technology transformation to modernize the organization’s core infrastructure and critical applications.
As Chief Information Officer at S&B, he will oversee the strategic direction of information technology for the S&B family of companies and seek opportunities for technologic advancement in S&B’s EPC capabilities.
Mr. Mavalwalla has more than 15 years of experience in information management and systems, and holds a BS degree from the University of Waterloo in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
Sam Mavalwalla
KEY PROMOTION MARKS 10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY FOR ICR
ICR Integrity (ICR), a leading global provider of specialist maintenance and integrity solutions, has promoted Alan McQuade to Group Managing Director.
Mr. McQuade joined the company in 2018 as Chief Financial Officer and has played a pivotal role in developing the company’s strategy for the global energy market laterally as Chief Financial and Strategy Officer.
His promotion coincides with Chief Executive, Willie Rennie, moving into a consultancy role as he steps down from his position to pursue other interests.
Alan McQuade
ETAN HON NAMED PRODUCT MANAGER OF TURBO AFTERMARKET SERVICES FOR NIKKISO CRYOGENIC
Nikkiso Cryogenic Industries’ Clean Energy & Industrial Gases Group, a subsidiary of Nikkiso Co. Ltd. (Japan), has appointed Etan Hon as Product Manager of Turbo Aftermarket Services (AMS) for the Nikkiso Cryogenic Services unit (NCS).
This addition to its management team supports the Group’s objectives to further grow their AMS for turboexpanders. The Turbo All Brands line will also expand to support and service more brands, including ACD, Rotoflow, Atlas Copco, and Cryostar among others.
Etan received a degree in aerospace engineering from the University of California, San Diego. He began his career by providing oilfield services to customers within the oil and gas industry in Texas working for Schlumberger and Baker Hughes. In 2017, he joined ACD LLC as a Field Service Manager. After the acquisition by Nikkiso in 2019, he transitioned into the role of Service Manager of Turbo AMS for NCS and helped move the ACD Turbo AMS division into a new facility in Irvine, California. He helped re-develop the standards and processes with the international service centers for the Turbo AMS in Irvine. The new structure has created a successful operating business locally and will ensure proper support to the Turbo AMS team globally.
Nikkiso Cryogenic Services provides service and support globally, including locations in Malaysia, Germany, India, Australia, Taiwan and China, as well as six locations in North America.
Etan Hon
ORBITAL ENERGY GROUP INC. APPOINTS JERRY SUE THORNTON AND LA FORREST WILLIAMS TO BORARD OF DIRECTORS
Orbital Energy Group Inc. has appointed Dr. Jerry Sue Thornton and former National Security Agency (NSA) Chief Information Officer, La Forrest Williams, to its board of directors. Following the appointments, the board has been expanded to 10 directors, seven of whom are independent.
Dr. Jerry Sue Thornton, widely recognized as a “legendary educator,” came from humble beginnings in rural western Kentucky. The daughter of a union coal miner and a domestic worker, she rose to become an iconic, internationally acclaimed educator and lecturer. Dr. Thornton is annually recognized as one of the 50 most influential people in Northeast Ohio. During her tenure as President of Cuyahoga Community College, the college became a leader in educational innovation, workforce training and economic development. Her many leadership activities include working to help develop the community college concept in the Netherlands, China, United Kingdom, Jordan and Qatar.
Dr. Thornton’s board service has included membership on the boards of Applied Industrial Technologies Inc., National City Bank, Bridgestreet Worldwide Inc., Republic Powdered Metals Inc., American Family Insurance, FirstEnergy Corporation, Office Max, Barnes and Noble Education Inc., and Parkwood Corporation. In addition, she has served as co-chair of the 21st Century Commission on the Future of Community Colleges, on the board of visitors of the Marine Corps University, and on the Community College Advisory Board of Dynamic Campus, among others. She is also the recipient of the 2014 Diverse Champions Award, in recognition of her exemplary leadership of Tri-C through an era of unprecedented change and growth while exemplifying the principles of diversity and inclusion in all facets of her tenure.
Mr. Williams is a 30+ year retired Air Force colonel and defense intelligence senior executive. Along with being a highly-respected communications commander and pilot, he helped implement information assurance and computer security practices for the Department of Defense, other federal agencies, and America’s global partners. Following his distinguished Air Force career, Mr. Williams served as the NSA’s Chief Information Officer, Deputy Director of legislative affairs and Assistant Director information assurance operations, Foreign Affairs Directorate for NSA in support of the United States Department of Defense.
Mr. Williams received his BS degree from San Jose State University and his MS degree in science and information technology from American University, Washington, DC. Among his other accomplishments, Mr. Williams taught at the National War College, instructing senior Department of Defense and State Department leaders, and visiting international leaders from 23 nations. Leaders in this advanced degree program earned an MS degree in national security strategy. Additionally, he served as Chairman of the Department of Aerospace Studies at Howard University.
S&B TAPS EPC LEADER JEFF SIPES AS CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER
S&B has named Jeff Sipes as its Chief Commercial Officer. In this newly created role, Mr. Sipes will have responsibility for the commercial development and strategy of the S&B family of companies.
Mr. Sipes joins S&B from Bechtel, where he served as Principal Vice President and Manager of global business development focused on strategic planning, customer relationships and exploration of new global markets. He also served on Bechtel’s operating committee.
He began his career with the engineering and construction firm Chicago Bridge & Iron Company (CB&I). Throughout his more than 30-yr career, Mr. Sipes has served in project management, business development and leadership roles globally with extensive experience in Latin America, the Middle East and Asia. He holds a BS degree in civil engineering from Texas Tech University. In 2010, he was elected to the Texas Tech Civil Engineering Academy and served as an ambassador for the university’s International Experience Program.
Reporting to Brookshire and J.D. Slaughter, President of S&B, Mr. Sipes will be responsible for commercial development and strategy across the S&B family of companies: S&B Engineers and Constructors, Ltd, S&B Infrastructure, S&B Plant Services, Ltd, S&B Fabrication Services and Ford, Bacon & Davis.
Jeff Sipes
GALILEO COMPRESSION APPOINTS RANDY LARKIN AS VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES
Galileo Compression USA has added Randy Larkin to its team of industry professionals as the Vice President of sales. With more than 35 yr of diverse experience in oil and gas midstream and energy services in technical, business development and executive management roles, Mr. Larkin will play an instrumental role in supporting the growth of sales and distribution of the company’s value-added suite of compression solutions that utilize the highest quality standards and latest technology.
Galileo Compression USA was officially launched in April 2021 by Galileo Technologies, which has been operating in the U.S. for more than 10 yr in various segments of the energy industry outside of compression leasing.
Mr. Larkin previously served as President of LHF Midstream Partners, where he built a service organization to support several midstream operators to optimize large-horsepower compression stations. Prior to LHF, he served as VP of business development and engineering for E2 Energy Services, a former affiliate of Enlink Midstream, where he was responsible for commercial development and execution of midstream projects in the Permian and Marcellus shale plays. Mr. Larkin Randy holds a BS degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Texas.
Randy Larkin
SUNDYNE APPOINTS MARY ZAPPONE AS CEO
Sundyne, a global leader in the design and manufacture of mission critical pumps and compressors, has named Mary Zappone as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Ms. Zappone succeeds Mark Sefcik, who is transitioning to President of the Sundyne Products business unit.
Ms. Zappone has more than 20 years of experience leading and growing industrial companies in sectors including industrial services, chemicals, energy infrastructure, industrial manufacturing, distribution and equipment rental. Most recently, she was the CEO and Board Member of Brace Industrial Group, a national provider of specialty industrial construction services. Prior to Brace, Ms. Zappone was the President and CEO of Service Champ, the largest specialty distributor of consumable automotive aftermarket maintenance parts and accessories. She has served as President and CEO of RecoverCare, a leading national provider of medical equipment and was President of Alcoa’s Oil & Gas products business. In addition, she has held several leadership positions at Tyco, General Electric, McKinsey & Co. and Exxon.
Mary Zappone
AIRSWIFT APPOINTS ALBERT KAHLOW AS GLOBAL SALES DIRECTOR, IT AND TECHNOLOGY
Airswift has made a senior strategic appointment as it diversifies into the IT and technology sectors. Albert Kahlow, formally Regional Director Canada and Global Head of Sustainability, has been promoted to Global Sales Director, IT and Technology.
Mr. Kahlow will lead Airswift’s new IT and technology division to meet the growing demand for advanced technology skills in specific areas such as AI and automation across a range of sectors. Based in Dubai, he will have access to key tech hubs within Canada, North America, Australasia and Europe, while being central to Middle East’s burgeoning tech scene. As well as supporting existing clients with sourcing the best IT and tech talent, Airswift will be expanding its workforce solutions into areas such as Fintech, Medtech, cloud and infrastructure, IoT, robotics and software engineering.
Airswift is investing heavily in its own technology to enrich its offerings and enable sustainable growth of this new division. Mr. Kahlow will be working with regional directors and VPs across the business with the ambition to grow the practice into one of Airswift’s core markets as digitalization sweeps across key areas such as energy and mining.
Albert Kahlow
HIMA APPOINTS NEW MANAGEMENT
A new management team is to take over operational business of the company; the shareholders continue to be exclusively members of the Philipp family.
With effect from July 1, 2021, the shareholder restructuring of the management of the company group is complete. The new team now consists of CEO Jörg de la Motte and CFO Dr. Michael Löbig. Managing partner Steffen Philipp is to focus on his tasks as a shareholder in the future. The previous CEO Sankar Ramakrishnan left the company at the end of June.
HIMA is an independent family company run by the fourth generation of the family. Shareholder Ingrid Philipp, nee Hildebrandt (granddaughter of the company founder), and her son Steffen Philipp wish to keep HIMA in family hands in the future and continue its expansion as a technology leader and provider of solutions in the field of functional safety.
“The new management team will ensure that HIMA continues to be a reliable partner for our customers,” says Philipp. “As shareholders we are convinced that we will continue to develop the company as an attractive employer for the next generation and for our employees.”
With effect from July 1, 2021, Jörg de la Motte will be taking over as CEO and Dr. Michael Löbig as CFO. Both worked for many years for companies with long traditions and have international experience in the field. They will continue leading the HIMA Group on its successful path, increase efficiency, secure profitability and uphold family values at the same time. In addition, it is also important to further develop the group’s position as a global provider of solutions in the direction of customer-oriented business models.
Mr. De la Motte is an industrial engineer and was most recently employed in the Bosch Group at technology specialist Bosch Rexroth. Dr. Löbig studied business management and last worked for Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG.
From Left to right: Steffen Philipp (Managing Partner), Dr. Michael Löbig (CFO), Ingrid Philipp (Shareholder), Jörg de la Motte (CEO) and Sankar Ramakrishnan (former CEO).
WOOD APPOINTS JOSH CARMICHAEL TO BOLSTER ITS HYDROGEN EXPERTISE
Global consulting and engineering company Wood has appointed Josh Carmichael as Vice President of Hydrogen to further strengthen its commitment to accelerating the global energy transition and providing the blend of technical solutions required to deliver a net-zero future. To meet the goals of the Paris Agreement and, in anticipation of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), many of the world’s largest economies and leading companies are transitioning to a more sustainable energy system using clean energy sources including hydrogen.
In this newly created role, Mr. Carmichael will lead Wood’s global hydrogen drive, working with clients, industry partners and government authorities to develop the growing hydrogen sector. Working closely with colleagues based in key hydrogen markets, he will bring together Wood’s existing hydrogen expertise to position the company as a partner of choice for developing strategic and impactful hydrogen projects around the world.
Mr. Carmichael brings extensive knowledge of hydrogen, having held several senior positions, most recently with Transdev in the Netherlands and the South Australian Government, where he developed its green hydrogen investment roadmap.
Josh Carmichael
MATERIA INC. NAMES CLIFF POST AS NEW PRESIDENT AND CEO; FORMER CEO TO JOIN BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Materia Inc., a leading supplier of high-performance thermoset polymers and resins, has named Cliff Post as President and CEO, effective July 1. Mr. Post succeeds Chris Murphy, who will retire and join the board of directors and serve as Chairperson of the business development Committee.
Mr. Post joined Materia in 2015 as the VP of business development, where he was responsible for sales and business development activities and overseeing customer relationships and market channel partnerships, as well as research and development, process technology and the company's resin production activities. Previously, he served Director of R&D at Praxair and General Manager of Rodgard, a polymer solutions and composites division of TOTAL, SA.
Mr. Post received his BS and MS degrees in chemical engineering from the State University of New York at Buffalo and an Executive MBA Short Course with TOTAL, SA. He holds five patents and has seven journal publications.
SERVOMEX NAMES JESSICA THOMPSON AS GLOBAL PROJECT MANAGER – SYSTEMS
Servomex, a global expert in gas analysis, has boosted the systems team with the appointment of Jessica Thompson as Global Project Manager – Systems.
Based at Servomex’s U.S. business center in Houston, Texas, Ms. Thompson will be responsible for the successful management and delivery of Servomex’s gas analysis system solutions across the globe, implementing best-in-class project management processes that ensure projects are delivered on time, to specification and to budget.
As a key member of Servomex’s Global Analytical Systems team, she will drive the delivery of medium-to-large analytical system projects. Key responsibilities will include reviewing customer specification packages and submittal requirements at the project initiation stage, and creating project schedule review metrics that support project delivery, quality and cost requirements.
Jessica Thompson
SALAH MAHDY APPOINTED AS GLOBAL DIRECTOR FOR HYDROGEN AT HOWDEN
Howden Group is strengthening its commitment to the environmental hydrogen market with the appointment of Salah Mahdy in the new role of Global Director - Hydrogen.
Based in the U.K., Mr. Mahdy will lead Howden’s hydrogen business globally and develop the business by leading its hydrogen technology roadmap.
With more than 20 yr of experience in business development and technical and engineering roles, he brings impressive hydrogen expertise to the role. He has worked with leading organisations, such as Honeywell-UOP, Wolrey, AspenTech and ITM Power, and has delivered high profile projects, including one of the world’s largest green hydrogen and ammonia projects in the Middle East.
Salah Mahdy
MCDERMOTT NAMES SAMIK MUKHERJEE AS EXECUTIVE VP AND COO
McDermott Intl. Ltd. has named Samik Mukherjee as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. In this position, Mr. Mukherjee will continue to advance the company's long-term strategy through solid alignment of its service offerings to meet evolving customer needs. He previously led the company's global operations and project delivery functions as Group Senior Vice President, Projects.
Mr. Mukherjee brings nearly three decades of experience in operations, commercial and strategy across the global upstream and downstream oil and gas industry. Prior to joining McDermott in 2018, he was Executive VP of corporate development, strategy, mergers and acquisitions, digital and IT for another engineering, consulting and construction company. His career includes leadership positions in Europe, the Middle East, the Netherlands, Africa, India and France across the energy value chain, both onshore and offshore.
Mr. Mukherjee holds an MBA from the Rotterdam School of Management at Erasmus University in the Netherlands and a BS degree in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur. He has also completed the Harvard Business School Executive Program on Aligning and Executing Strategy.
VALVTECHNOLOGIES INC. NAMES JULIANA HERMAN AS GLOBAL MARKETING DIRECTOR
ValvTechnologies Inc., a manufacturer of zero-leakage severe service isolation valve solutions, has named Juliana Herman as Director of Global Marketing.
Ms. Herman is responsible for the development and deployment of ValvTechnologies' marketing strategy, product and brand management, marketing programs, communication campaigns, and market analysis on a global basis.
Most recently, she served as Senior Product Marketing Manager for Emerson with responsibility for pneumatic valve actuation products. Previously, she was Director of marketing and sales at Dynamic Air Shelters, Manager of market analysis at Cameron Valves & Measurement, and Senior Market Analyst at Curtiss-Wright’s Flow Control Oil & Gas Systems business.
Herman holds an MBA in marketing and international business from Rice University’s Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business, and a BS degree in clothing and textiles from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and University.
Juliana Herman
PAUL T. ADDISON JOINS ORBITAL ENERGY GROUP INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Orbital Energy Group Inc. has appointed Paul T. Addison as an Independent Director of the company, effective immediately. Mr. Addison’s appointment expands the board to eight directors, five of whom are independent directors.
Before his retirement, Mr. Addison was Managing Director of the utilities department at Salomon Smith Barney (Citigroup). In that role, Mr. Addison served in several positions, including Senior Credit Officer and Managing Director in the firm’s energy and utilities department. His executive positions maximized his expertise in utilities, at the intersection of investment banking and the financial services sector. Mr. Addison retired from Salomon Smith Barney in 2002, and now contributes his leadership and extensive experience in finance toward his board representation and community endeavors.
He is a former Director of FirstEnergy Corp., where he served as independent director, Chairman of the finance committee and member of the audit committee as a designated financial expert. He now serves as Trustee and Treasurer of Maimonides Medical Center, a non-profit and non-sectarian hospital located in Brooklyn, New York.
Mr. Addison graduated from Howard University with a BA degree in political science and economics and holds an MBA from the Harvard University Graduate School of Business.
Paul T. Addison
MHI COMPRESSOR INTL. CORP. APPOINTS JUN FUKUDA AS PRESIDENT AND CEO
MHI Compressor International Corporation (MCO-I), a leader in the design and manufacture of compressors, drive turbines, gear boxes and their control systems, has appointed Jun Fukuda as its new president and CEO. He succeeds Manabu Saga, who has returned to Hiroshima as an advisor for MCO.
Mr. Fukuda joined Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. (MHI) in 1987 and has served in various management roles for both MHI and MCO. In 2014, he was appointed Deputy General Manager, global marketing and sales division, where he was in charge of the Hiroshima division in Japan. From 2017, he served as Executive Vice President, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America Inc., before returning to Hiroshima as Director of MCO since 2018.
Mr. Fukuda’s leadership expertise brings a wealth of knowledge to the MCO-I Pearland Work’s facility, as he demonstrates efforts to increase the North American turbomachinery footprint and expand upon current after sales capabilities to capture more market share.
Jun Fukuda
EUROPUMP WELCOMES NEW PRESIDENT
Vanni Vignoli has been elected as the 30th President of Europump, the European pump industry association. In an historic first, and in keeping with other such COVID-induced adaptations, the election was undertaken digitally as part of the association’s Virtual General Assembly.
An engineer in the pump sector for more than 20 yr, Vignoli has held various positions with Italian pump manufacturer, Caprari, best known for its centrifugal pumps, submersible motors and integrated solutions for water systems. Most recently, as its Head of corporate marketing, he has been responsible for both strategic and product marketing activities, while coordinating several businesses within the Caprari suite of companies. However, he will now hold the position of Research and Development Director.
As the current Chairman of the marketing commission and Second Vice President of Assopompe, Europump’s Italian association member, Vignoli has served Europump for many years. Initially as a guest to various meetings and then as a delegate, he became Chairman of the SME commission, and a member of the executive council before his election as First Vice President in 2019, at the General Assembly held in Naples.
Vanni Vignoli succeeds Dr. Sönke Brodersen, Global Executive Officer Committees and Associations at KSB SE & Co. KGaA and Chairman of VDMA Pumps+Systems, the German pump manufacturer association. Sönke has been a member of Europump’s Executive Council since 2005 and served as the association’s President between 2011 and 2013, being re-elected in 2019.
As part of the same election process, Luboš Michlik, Sales Director of Sigma Group and representative of CPMA (the Czech Pump manufacturers association) was elevated to the position of First Vice President, having previously held the role of Second Vice President for the past 2 yr. Additionally, Alexandre Lacour, President of SOMEFLU and representative of EVOLIS (the French pump manufacturers association), was elected to succeed Luboš as Second Vice President.
Vanni Vignoli
MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES AMERICA APPOINTS MICHAEL SICKER AS PRESIDENT OF OIL & GAS DIVISION
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America, Inc. (MHIA), a 100% subsidiary of industrial manufacturer Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group, has appointed Michael Sicker as President of its Oil & Gas Division. He succeeds Hiroaki Osaki, who has retired from his role as President but continues to serve as Chairman of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Compressor Corp., Japan.
MHIA’s Oil & Gas Division creates synergies within MHI Group’s product portfolio, providing a one-stop solution for LNG turbomachinery, engineering, digitalization and R&D solutions. In parallel to his new role as President, Sicker will continue to serve as MHIA’s Global Account Manager for ExxonMobil, responsible for integrating solutions that maximize customer value.
Sicker, who has served in various senior management positions in the oil and gas industry, has worked for several Mitsubishi Group companies throughout his 30-yr career, playing critical roles in the formation of MHI’s Tire Machinery division in Ohio and most recently MHI Compressor International Corporation’s Texas manufacturing and service facility.
Sicker holds an MS degree in mechanical engineering from Ohio State University, as well as an MBA from Akron University.
Michael Sicker
NUECES MIDSTREAM NAMES NELSON FERRIES AS EXECUTIVE VP OF STRATEGY AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Nelson Ferries has joined energy infrastructure company Nueces Midstream LLC as Executive Vice President of Strategy and Business Development.
As EVP of Strategy and Business Development, Ferries will oversee corporate growth strategies and all business development activities. He has 39 yr of experience in the oil and gas business with areas of focus being E&P, natural gas, NGLs and crude marketing. Prior to joining Nueces, Ferries served as Managing Director for BP Energy’s Producer Services Group from 2003–2020. During his tenure with BP Energy, Ferries was responsible for supply aggregation and business development activity around producers and midstream companies in the Gulf Coast and Midcontinent regions. Prior to 2003, he held various operational, commercial, trading and transportation positions with Chevron, Columbia Energy Services, Enron and Tractebel. Ferries earned a BS degree in civil engineering from Texas A&M – Kingsville and is a registered Professional Engineer in Texas.
Nelson Ferries
KP ENGINEERING PROMOTES DELOME FAIR TO GROW ITS HYDROGEN AND SYNGAS CAPABILITIES
KP Engineering (KPE), a leader in designing, executing and delivering customized EPC solutions for the refining, syngas and hydrogen and renewable fuels industries, has promoted DeLome Fair to Principal Process Engineer. She will be tasked with expanding KPE’s leadership role in syngas and hydrogen plant design and execution.
Fair, who will be based in KPE’s Houston office, will be responsible for the growth of the company’s syngas and hydrogen business. During her nearly 30-yr career, Fair has been responsible for more than 30 syngas, hydrogen and gasification projects. She has led design and startup teams and has performed technical services for several of these. At KPE, Fair has already taken significant design responsibility on a 9000-bd renewable diesel unit and the lead role on 45-MMscfd and 87-MMscfd hydrogen plant projects. Prior to KPE, Fair served as President and CEO of Synthesis Energy Systems Inc., which focused on commercializing, licensing and deploying new syngas production technology, in various syngas-related leadership roles for the General Electric Co., and as a lead engineer in Texaco’s syngas, hydrogen and power businesses.
Fair holds an MS degree in chemical engineering from the University of Kansas and is a member of the Society of Women Engineers.
DeLome Fair
GTI ELECTS NEW MEMBER OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Scott Drury, CEO of Southern California Gas Co., has been elected to serve as a member of GTI’s board of directors. As CEO of SoCalGas, and previously as President of San Diego Gas & Electric, Drury gained extensive experience in modernizing the energy grid to enhance safety and reliability, while providing customers with increasingly sustainable energy choices and creating long-term value for all stakeholders. As a current member of the board of directors at the American Gas Association, Drury is uniquely poised to drive industry collaboration.
BURNS & McDONNELL ANNOUNCES SIGNIFICANT PROMOTIONS IN OIL, GAS AND CHEMICAL GROUP
As the oil, gas and chemicals industries adapt to transitions in the market, Burns & McDonnell has made key leadership promotions. The Oil, Gas and Chemical group of Burns & McDonnell has promoted five individuals to expand services and capabilities.
Andrew Becker has been promoted to Technical and Strategic Adviser for the Oil, Gas & Chemical Group, working to streamline the firm’s strategic focus for future growth. Becker will provide his technical, strategic and market knowledge to the managing directors as well as other internal and external stakeholders. With almost 15 yr of industry experience, Becker has provided unique insight across all oil, gas and chemical market sectors, bringing innovation to many of the firm’s most significant projects and clients. Becker has been at the forefront of new and novel technology application development within the firm’s process engineering group. He was also named as the industry’s “Most Promising Engineer” by Hydrocarbon Processing in 2020.
Andrew Becker
Meaghan McCaffrey has been promoted to Managing Director of Renewables and Emerging Markets, spearheading the Oil, Gas & Chemical Group’s focus on renewable solutions. As a cornerstone of the firm’s renewable efforts, she will lead the oil, gas and chemical group in the growing renewables market. McCaffrey will also play an integral role supporting clients as they seek a viable connection between new and evolving technologies across traditional markets. With almost 15 yr of industry experience, McCaffrey focuses on identifying and proposing innovative renewable project solutions.
Meaghan McCaffrey
Kevin Syphard has been promoted to Managing Director of the Chemicals Market Sector, providing dynamic business and technical solutions to clients in the petrochemical and chemical markets. With more than 25 yr of leadership experience for EPC chemical projects, Syphard is ideally positioned to expand and diversify the firm’s resume in the industry. His background spans refining, petrochemicals, specialty chemicals and renewable energy markets, with a heavy focus on technology transfer and early-phase project development across a broad range of chemical technologies. He has been responsible for all phases of engineering projects and has been integral in petrochemical and chemical market development globally.
Kevin Syphard
Jason Hetherington has been promoted to Managing Director of Logistics and Midstream, where he will focus on expanding the firm’s midstream, logistics and storage business. In this new role, he leads a team engaged in large-volume storage and transportation projects for petroleum-based products. With more than 16 yr of experience executing midstream, logistics, consumer products and refining projects, Hetherington has a proven track-record of leading successful EPC projects. He is known for leading streamlined, fast-track projects that have consistently been on time and within budget.
Jason Hetherington
Dave Nispel has been promoted to Managing Director of Refining. With dedication to and an emphasis on predictable project execution, Nispel has played an essential role in creating a strong refining business within the Oil, Gas & Chemical Group. He will continue to help clients in the refining space incorporate margin enhancing and renewable solutions. With almost 30 yr in the refining and chemical space, Nispel’s experience spans developing and building strong client relationships, strategic planning, business development, process engineering and project management for numerous projects in refining, chemicals, agribusiness, and food and consumer products projects.
Dave Nispel
XRG TECHNOLOGIES APPOINTS JOE TLEIMAT AS SENIOR PRINCIPAL ENGINEER
XRG Technologies, a fired equipment engineering firm located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, has hired Joe Tleimat as a Senior Principal Engineer. Tleimat has spent 39 years providing engineering support in the refining industry, focused on fired equipment. He has supported owner-operators as a Fired Equipment SME for Valero, Chevron and ARCO, and spent time at Tulsa Heaters and John Zink.
Joe Tleimat
INDUSTRY VETERAN DR. WILLIAM SEDEREL JOINS THE SYNOVA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dr. Willem Sederel has joined the Synova board of directors. The appointment of Dr. Sederel follows Synova’s recently announced strategic alliance with Technip Energies and is part of Synova’s plan to partner with companies and individuals with relevant industry expertise and delivery capability to accelerate the full potential of their promising technology.
He began his career with Shell Research in Amsterdam and spent 26 yr with General Electric, which culminated in the position of Director of Chemistry for GE Corporate and Chief Technology Officer of Polycarbonate for GE Plastics. When SABIC acquired GE Plastics in 2007, he maintained global leadership of polycarbonate technology for two more years and then became Global Innovation Leader.
Since retiring in 2013, Dr. Sederel has been active in advancing the biobased circular economy and now serves as Chairman of the Dutch entity Circular Biobased Delta. This triple helix organization aims to accelerate the feedstock transition by biobased routes and circular solutions, such as those developed by Synova. Since early 2020 he has been a member of the advisory board of Biorizon, the shared research center for the development of bio-aromatics, and a member of the advisory board of Cluster Industrial Biotechnology (CLIB) in Dusseldorf (Germany).
Dr. Willem Sederel
MOTION INDUSTRIES PROMOTES JIM MAY TO DIRECTOR OF CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT
Motion Industries Inc., a leading distributor of maintenance, repair and operation replacement parts, and a provider of industrial technology solutions, has promoted Jim May to Director of Corporate Development.
Mr. May joined Motion in August 2020 as Director of Strategic Planning and Development to advance the company’s corporate strategic planning, provide economic, industry and competitor analyses, and support deal-side acquisition execution and integration processes. In his new role, he will continue his involvement in Motion’s strategic planning, but will take on direct responsibility for advancing the company’s acquisition strategy and processes. Mr. May will continue to report directly to Greg Cook, Motion Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.
Before joining Motion last year, Mr. May built 20 years of corporate development experience, including positions with Diebold Nixdorf and most recently Chart Industries, a mid-cap multinational public company, where he led global strategic planning and merger and acquisition (M&A) functions. He holds a BS degree in finance from the University of Akron.
Jim May
ASCO APPOINTS CRAIG REVIE AS GENERAL MANAGER OF ITS SPECIALIST LIFTING DIVISION, NSL
Global integrated logistics and materials management company, ASCO, has appointed Craig Revie as General Manager of its specialist lifting division, NSL.
Joining ASCO in 2018 as head of Marine Services, Revie led initiatives in vessel monitoring, marine coordination and vessel sharing, before taking on the role of UK Business Development and Energy Transition Manager. His expertise in cross-sector market development and growth will be applied to his latest role, as he builds upon NSL’s 30+ years of lifting expertise, guidance and competency development.
With facilities in Aberdeen, Scotland and Houston, Texas dedicated to making lifting operations safer, highly compliant and cost-effective, NSL services an international client base. It provides specialist technical assurance and assistance, as well as integrated project and onsite operational support across the UK, Caribbean, West and North Africa and the Middle East.
Craig Revie
AURELIO BANDA JOINS MOTION INDUSTRIES AS ITS NEW GROUP VICE PRESIDENT OF AUTOMATION
Motion Industries Inc., a leading distributor of maintenance, repair and operation replacement parts, and a premier provider of industrial technology solutions, has named Aurelio Banda as the company’s new Group Vice President of Automation.
Mr. Banda most recently served as President and Chief Executive Officer of PHD Inc., a global manufacturer of electric, pneumatic and hydraulic industrial automation actuators of various types. Prior to leading PHD Inc., he served as President and CEO – North America for Beckhoff Automation, a global manufacturer of industrial PCs, software, hardware and a variety of other products.
Mr. Banda was also the owner and President and CEO of Controls Plus Inc., an automation distributor in Indiana. Additionally, he served as VP Sales and Regional Sales Manager for Motion Automation Inc., and a Regional Sales Manager for Bosch Rexroth’s Electronic Controls & Drives.
A graduate of DeVry University with a degree in applied science in electronics, Mr. Banda furthered his education with an MBA in finance and operations from Notre Dame and completed Harvard Business School’s General Management Program.
Aurelio Banda
CHANGES IN THE CORPORATE BOARD OF MANAGEMENT OF THE VOITH GROUP
Cornelius Weitzmann, current member of the board of management of Voith Turbo, will be appointed President and CEO of Voith Turbo and member of the corporate board of management of the Voith Group effective June 1, 2021. He succeeds Dr. Uwe Knotzer, who is leaving the company.
Mr. Weitzmann joined Voith in 2007. Since 2009, he has served as Managing Director of Voith Paper in Wisconsin, U.S. In 2011, he was named President, Fabric and Roll Systems (FRS) EMEA. Since April 2015, he has been a member of the board of management of Voith Turbo, responsible for the Power, Oil and Gas Division, before he took over the management of the Mobility Division in June 2016.
Mr. Weitzmann studied industrial engineering in Karlsruhe and Seville, after which he worked for a German management consultancy from 2002.
Cornelius Weitzmann
T.D. WILLIAMSON DIRECTOR OF INTEGRITY SOLUTIONS MIKE KIRKWOOD NAMED PPSA BOARD PRESIDENT
Global pipeline solutions provider T.D. Williamson (TDW) has named Director of integrity solutions Mike Kirkwood as President of the board of directors of the Pigging Products and Services Association (PPSA).
Founded in 1990, the PPSA is an international trade association serving the pipeline industry that aims to promote technical knowledge of pigging and its related products and services to its 120 members from all over the world.
As board President of PPSA, Dr. Kirkwood will spearhead several new initiatives, including online events and other programming. He is the second person from TDW to hold this position with PPSA. Chuck Harris, then Manager of strategic commercialization, was PPSA president in 2017.
Dr. Kirkwood is a Chartered Engineer (CEng), a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (FIMechE) as well as a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE). He studied at the University of Liverpool (UK), where he received his BS degree of engineering and PhD in pipeline integrity. Dr. Kirkwood received his MBA from the University of Newcastle (UK).
Dr. Mike Kirkwood
ROSEN PROMOTES MARGUERITE FORDE TO DEVELOP UK AND IRISH ASSET INTEGRITY BUSINESS
ROSEN (UK) has promoted Senior Corrosion Engineer and Chair of the Young Pipeline Professional Europe (YPPE), Marguerite Forde, to Integrity Solutions Specialist and Sales Manager, focusing on the UK and Ireland. The role will play an integral part in growing the business’s integrity service offering both on and offshore.
Ms. Forde brings with her a decade of corrosion engineering experience and has worked for ROSEN (previously MACAW Engineering) since 2011. Her experience and expertise in internal and external corrosion consultancy, as well as wider operator and service provider asset care requirements, will allow customers to access the right knowledge and understanding for their unique integrity solutions.
She is also a founding member of the YPPE and was recently elected to Chair of the organization. YPPE is a group of young professionals working within the pipeline industry that aims to promote knowledge sharing and ensure the longevity of the industry, including addressing the skills shortage and developing the next generation.
Marguerite Forde
KEVIN MCMILLEN PROMOTED TO PRESIDENT AND CEO OF YOKOGAWA NORTH AMERICA BUSINESS
Yokogawa has promoted industrial automation leader, Kevin McMillen, to President and CEO of the company’s North American business. Mr. McMillen will strategically align efforts to drive a stronger sustainability focus, working with a range of industries toward the company’s goals of achieving net zero emissions, ensuring the well-being of people and transitioning to a circular economy.
Mr. McMillen brings deep experience in industrial automation, control and digital transformation to further develop Yokogawa’s 60-yr old North American business. In North America, Yokogawa’s “innovate forward” philosophy anticipates and solves tomorrow’s challenges through an expansive industrial automation and digitalization portfolio consisting of state-of-the-art measurement, control and optimization products and services.
Since 2016, Mr. McMillen has served as VP of System Sales for North America. He received his B.B.A in management and accounting from Marshall University.
Kevin McMillen
INDORAMA VENTURES APPOINTS KIM HOYT AS PORT NECHES SITE DIRECTOR
Indorama Ventures (IVL) has named Kim Hoyt as the new Site Director for the company’s Integrated Oxides and Derivatives (IOD) plant in Port Neches, Texas. As Site Director, Ms. Hoyt will drive Indorama’s internal initiatives to improve operational excellence and capabilities, in addition to ensuring the safety and compliance of the Port Neches Operations site.
Prior to her recent promotion, Ms. Hoyt served as the Lead Project Management Officer, where she led several improvement projects across the Port Neches site. With more than 33 yr of industry experience working with Indorama, Huntsman and Texaco Chemical, she has demonstrated leadership and delivered continued success in her past roles.
Ms. Hoyt first joined the Port Neches team in 1998 as an Operations Superintendent and over the years has served in a variety of roles of increasing responsibility. During her time at Port Neches, she has been instrumental in leading several site-wide initiatives to improve environmental health and safety performance, operational and equipment effectiveness, implementing new technologies and software applications, driving work-flow improvements and reducing site costs.
She is a chemical engineer and earned her BS degree from The Ohio State University.
MOTION MAKES TWO KEY PROMOTIONS TO EVP
Motion Industries Inc., a leading distributor of maintenance, repair and operation replacement parts, and a premier provider of industrial technology solutions, has promoted James Howe to Executive VP—eCommerce, Sales Excellence, Strategic Pricing and Corporate Accounts; and Joe Limbaugh to Executive VP—Supply Chain, Operations Support, Marketing and Enterprise Excellence, effective April 1, 2021.
Mr. Howe most recently served as SVP—eCommerce, Sales Excellence and Strategic Pricing—and has recently taken on additional responsibilities of the company’s Corporate Accounts group. He has been with Motion since 2002 and has held numerous field roles, including Group Executive for the West Group. In recent years, Mr. Howe has led the strategy and development of all aspects of Motion’s digital strategy, including the new Motion.com website released last year. He has also transformed Motion’s pricing strategy, delivering immediate and consistent impact across all aspects of the company’s business. As EVP, Mr. Howe will continue to lead in his respective areas, while also assisting in other strategic areas of the business and customer development.
Mr. Limbaugh began his career with Motion in 1983 in Bourbonnais, Illinois. During his time with Motion, Mr. Limbaugh has held numerous field and corporate positions, giving him a unique perspective on Motion and its customers. He most recently served as SVP, responsible for Motion’s procurement and inventory, distribution center operations and productivity, branch support, facilities and lease management, and marketing strategy. In 2018, Mr. Limbaugh led the renovation of Motion’s corporate campus, finishing the project on time and under budget in late 2019. In 2020, under his leadership and guidance, Motion installed the first “goods-to-person” automated retrieval systems in the Birmingham distribution center, resulting in a 540% productivity improvement. As EVP, Mr. Limbaugh will continue to lead strategic initiatives throughout the company to improve customer service levels and increase Motion’s productivity to create additional stakeholder value.
James Howe Joe Limbaugh
BCCK HOLDING CO. NAMES BRIAN PETKO AS SENIOR VP OF ENGINEERING
BCCK Holding Co. (BCCK), a leader in engineering, procurement, fabrication and field construction services, has appointed Brian Petko as Senior Vice President of engineering.
Mr. Petko has more than 14 yr of experience in designing, building and operating natural gas infrastructure for companies such as DCP Midstream and several small equity-backed startup companies in the midstream oil and gas sector. Mr. Petko will be located in BCCK’s office in The Woodlands, Texas and will be responsible for overseeing the innovative engineering design that underpins all of BCCK’s industry leading offerings. He holds an MS degree in chemical engineering from The Colorado School of Mines.
Brian Petko
SERVOMEX STRENGTHENS GLOBAL SALES TEAM WITH TWO APPOINTMENTS
Servomex, a global expert in gas analysis, has strengthened its global sales team with two key appointments.
John McCormick is the new VP, Sales Americas. Based in Boston, he will be responsible for leading the entire U.S. sales team in both the Purity & Speciality (P&S) and Industrial Process & Emissions (IP&E) sectors, providing customers throughout the Americas region with the benefit of his expertise in key industrial markets. Mr. McCormick joins Servomex with 20 yr of industry experience gained at GE Parametrics, where he undertook a variety of technical and commercial roles, including Sales Director, Americas. He holds an MBA from Boston College and BS degrees in chemical engineering and chemistry from Columbia University and Providence College, respectively.
Nicholas Wilson joins Servomex in the role of Regional Sales Manager for the Purity & Specialty division. Based in Portland, Oregon, Mr. Wilson will focus on the semiconductor market. With 10 yr of industry experience, combined with a strong background in analyzers and in sales, he will help customers find the right solutions for their process. He earned a BS degree in chemistry from UC Santa Barbara.
BCCK HOLDING CO. APPOINTS FRASER MCDOWELL AS DIRECTOR OF STRATEGY AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT (RENEWABLES)
BCCK Holding Co. (BCCK), a leader in engineering, procurement, fabrication and field construction services, has appointed Fraser McDowell as Director of strategy and business development (renewables).
Mr. McDowell will be located in BCCK’s office in The Woodlands, Texas and will be responsible for expanding BCCK’s business portfolio in the growing renewables and clean energy markets, including LNG, identifying profitable growth opportunities in support of the energy transition with a focus on technology. He has held several executive leadership roles in the last 20 yr, including Global Vice President for Weatherford International’s pipeline and specialty services group and, most recently, Vice President, business development, for energy with Chart Industries.
Mr. McDowell holds degrees in mechanical engineering and business management from Abertay University, U.K., and Robert Gordon University, U.K., respectively.
Fraser McDowell
DELOITTE NAMES AMY CHRONIS LEADER OF ITS U.S. OIL, GAS AND CHEMICALS SECTOR
Amy Chronis has been appointed as a Vice Chairman of Deloitte LLP and leader of its oil, gas and chemicals (OG&C) sector within the U.S. energy, resources and industrials industry. She succeeds Duane Dickson, who will be retiring in May. In her new role, Ms. Chronis will lead the overall strategic direction and market eminence of the OG&C practice, as well as the go-to-market strategies for Deloitte’s key businesses, including audit and assurance, consulting, tax and risk and financial advisory services. Based in Houston, she will oversee a team of more than 3,000 professionals, who serve many of the OG&C companies on the Fortune 500. Ms. Chronis will also continue to serve as Managing Partner of Deloitte’s more than 2,400-person Houston office, the largest professional services organization in the city.
Ms. Chronis is the 2021 Chairman of the Greater Houston Partnership (GHP) board of directors. She also plays an active role with a number of civic organizations, including the United Way of Greater Houston, The University of Texas Accounting Advisory Council, The Ohio State University board of trustees’ audit and finance committee, Texas 2036, and the Texas Business Hall of Fame Foundation board. She is a past member of the National Advisory Council of the Women’s Energy Network (WEN) and co-leads the Houston cohort of Deloitte’s Board Ready Women and Women on Boards programs, providing both education and a networking platform for senior women leaders and women board members in Houston.
Ms. Chronis is a licensed CPA by the state of Texas, and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Texas Society of CPAs. She received her BSBA degree in international studies and accounting from The Ohio State University and completed the executive program at Columbia University Business School. She was named to the Houston Business Journal’s (HBJ) Women Who Mean Business list, is an inductee to the Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame and a recipient of the 2020 HBJ Most Admired CEO award.
Amy Chronis
MOTION INDUSTRIES MAKES SEVEN KEY FIELD MANAGEMENT PROMOTIONS
Motion, a leading distributor of maintenance, repair and operation replacement parts, and a premier provider of industrial technology solutions, has made seven recent promotions to key field management positions.
Logan Carden was named Nashville Division Vice President and will be responsible for overseeing the sales growth initiatives of 20 branches located in parts of Indiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi and Alabama. Bill Carroll was promoted to Vice President of the new Philadelphia Division (Pennsylvania, New Jersey and West Virginia), which was strategically established to serve and further the significant growth in the East Group’s territory. He will be responsible for overseeing 13 branches’ sales and guiding their market growth.
Tami DeWeese will assume leadership of the Pacific Northwest Division as its Vice President. In her new role, Ms. DeWeese will oversee the sales growth, strategy and operations of 19 branch and shop locations. Dan Pike was promoted to St. Louis Division Vice President and will be responsible for the sales growth and strategic management of 17 branch operations throughout Missouri and Arkansas. Dave Purvis was named Midwest Group Area Vice President, replacing Dan Pike in that role. Mr. Purvis will be responsible for leading the Midwest Group Corporate Accounts Team, which involves managing existing corporate account relationships and driving new growth opportunities. He will also be responsible for providing corporate account partners with Motion’s full offering of services and solutions to reduce these partners’ total cost of ownership.
Steve Kammeyer was named Area Vice President for Corporate Accounts, West Group. In his new position, he will directly engage with field personnel and leadership in creating and developing internal and external sales-driven initiatives, with a focus on corporate account customers. Lisa Solomon was promoted to Area Vice President for Corporate Accounts, Central Group, and will lead this Group’s Corporate Accounts Team. She will be responsible for enhancing existing national account relationships and driving new opportunities for growth throughout the various industry segments within the geographic area.
AMERICAN CHEMISTRY COUNCIL NAMES NEW VP OF REGULATORY AND TECHNICAL AFFAIRS
The American Chemistry Council (ACC), the nation’s largest trade association representing the leading companies engaged in the business of chemistry, has named Kimberly Wise White, Ph.D. as its new Vice President, Regulatory and Technical Affairs. Dr. White will step into her new role on February 22, 2021. Her appointment follows the retirement earlier this month of the department’s previous VP, Michael Walls.
Dr. White brings nearly 20 yr of scientific, product stewardship, environmental management and sustainable chemistry experience to her role. An expert in chemical risk assessment and its application to statutory, regulatory or voluntary programs, she has spent the last ten years at ACC, serving as a Senior Director within ACC’s Chemical Products and Technology Division. In that role, she has led the scientific research, regulatory advocacy and communications initiatives around specific chemistries and product sectors. Prior to joining ACC, Dr. White served in a number of scientific advisory and environmental management positions guiding toxicology research, environmental compliance, process safety and risk management programs.
Dr. Kimberly Wise White
MARYANN T. MANNEN JOINS MARATHON PETROLEUM CORPORATION AS EXECUTIVE VP AND CFO
Maryann T. Mannen has joined Marathon Petroleum Corporation as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, succeeding retiring CFO Donald C. Templin.
Since 2017, Ms. Mannen has served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of TechnipFMC, a leading global engineering services and energy technology company. From 2011–2017, she was Chief Financial Officer at FMC Technologies, prior to its merger with Technip SA, which Ms. Mannen played a key role in negotiating and executing. Before that, she served as the company's Deputy Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer from 2010–2011 and Vice President of Administration from 2007–2010. Prior to joining FMC Technologies in 1986, Ms. Mannen was Finance Manager for Sheller-Globe Corporation.
Ms. Mannen holds a BS degree in accounting and an MBA from Rider University. She is a member of the Owens Corning board of directors and has served as the audit committee chair since 2019.
JOSE R. POCATERRA ELECTED AS CHAIRMAN OF THE CITGO BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The CITGO Petroleum Corp. board of directors has elected Jose R. Pocaterra as Chairman of the board of directors. Mr. Pocaterra brings more than 20 y of operational, marketing and financial professional experience in the oil and gas industry. Mr. Pocaterra held various positions in the budget, planning and financial reporting area for Sincrudos de Oriente (SINCOR), a joint venture (JV) between Petróleos de Venezuela, TOTAL and EQUINOR for the production and upgrading of extra-heavy oil in the Orinoco Belt in Venezuela.
His background also includes roles in procurement for U.S.-based Energy Logistics Inc. in Houston, Texas; data analysis for Swift Oil & Gas in Mobile, Alabama during the Deepwater Horizon crisis; and various financial advisory roles in Europe.
He holds a BS degree in business administration from the Universidad Santa María, Venezuela; a postgraduate diploma in corporate finance from Universidad Metropolitana, Venezuela; an MBA certificate from the University of Texas; and is a graduate of the Advanced Management Program of the Instituto de Estudios Superiores de Administración (IESA) School of Management, Venezuela.
NUCORE GROUP APPOINTS PHIL DAVIE AS CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
Nucore Group, a specialist engineering company providing integrated engineering solutions in hazardous environments, has strengthened its senior management team with the appointment of Phil Davie as Chief Operating Officer. With more than 30 yr of experience with Tier 1 and service engineering companies, most recently as Senior Vice President at Aker Solutions, Mr. Davie will take on the responsibility for all group operations. Nucore Group provides critical services and support for the oil and gas, marine, renewables energy and petrochemical industries, as well as private and public sector customers.
Phil Davie
Zetec Inc., a global leader in nondestructive testing (NDT) for oil and gas and other industries, has named Dave Whitley as its new President. He replaces Wayne Wilkinson, who is retiring. Whitley brings extensive executive, management, strategic and omni-channel distribution experience across several industries. He joins Zetec from True Brands. As President and chief executive officer, Whitley was responsible for the strategic direction, business development and overall operation of the company. Prior to True Brands, Whitley was President and CEO at Global Harvest Foods, a national consumer-products manufacturer specializing in pet food, and was COO at Nuprecon, a national commercial and industrial demolition and environmental remediation specialty subcontractor.
Dave Whitley
FutureOn has appointed Suba Rohrman as Vice President of Asia-Pacific to drive company growth in the region. This appointment follows the announcement of a new partnership with Tracy Energy. Based in Australia, Ms. Rohrman will be responsible for leading the company’s growth strategy in the region and working with Tracy Energy to bring digital solutions to the market to meet the needs of operators across Asia and Australia. With 23 yr of industry experience, she has held numerous senior technical and business consulting positions for oil and gas operators and service companies around the globe, including BP, Shell, Total, Halliburton and Schlumberger.
Suba Rohrman
GTI Spindle Technology Inc. has appointed Eric Huston to its leadership team as a Vice President. Huston also serves as Chief Operating Officer of the GTI Predictive Technology subsidiary, where he provides leadership and focus encompassing the whole value chain with emphasis on customer excellence, sales, marketing, business and product development. At GTI Spindle, Huston will drive the development and launch of subscription-based business solutions for machine tool spindle repair enabled through digital transformation.
Earlier in his career, Huston gained extensive experience in industrial aftermarket services and digital transformation in both domestic and international markets. He has an affinity for the influence and contribution of precision maintenance, proactive reliability, energy efficiency and environmental management upon the profitable growth and sustainability of industrial facilities and fleets. Prior to GTI, Huston held executive positions with increasing responsibility at Schaeffler, SKF and Honeywell (Measurex) after starting his career as a maintenance engineer with International Paper (Champion International). He holds a BS degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Maine and is a member of several professional organizations, having served as Vice Chair, Manufacturing Technical Group; and Chair, Plant Engineering and Maintenance Division for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). He is a member of the Best Practices and Benchmarking Committee for the Society of Reliability and Maintenance Professionals (SMRP). Huston is a Certified Maintenance and Reliability Professional (CMRP), and a former Certified Energy Manager (CEM) through the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE).
Eric Huston
Excelerate Energy L.P. (Excelerate) has named Alisa Newman Hood as General Counsel and Amy Thompson as Chief Human Resources Officer. As Excelerate’s Executive VP and General Counsel, Ms. Hood will leverage her impressive 20-yr legal, government relations and energy policy background for the company. Since joining Excelerate Energy in 2019 as Senior VP, she has provided legal advice and managed the company’s U.S. government relations function in Washington, DC. Before joining Excelerate, she served as General Counsel in three previous roles, including at Akfel Commodities, the parent company of the largest private importer of natural gas and largest trader of gas and power in Turkey, and at Aluminium Bahrain, where she guided the company through its IPO on the London Stock Exchange. From 2012–2016, Ms. Hood served as Senior Advisor to the U.S. Special Envoy for International Energy Affairs at the State Department. She began her legal career in the project finance/energy practice at White & Case LLP in New York and Washington. She is a graduate of Brown University (BA) and Georgetown University Law Center (JD), where she has been on the adjunct faculty teaching oil and gas law since 2007.
Ms. Thompson, Executive VP and Chief Human Resources Officer for Excelerate Energy, brings more than 22 yr of progressive human resources experience in global oilfield services organizations. Throughout her career, she has held various leadership roles in the U.S. and the Middle East. Prior to joining Excelerate Energy, she was Senior VP and Chief Human Resources Officer of Apergy Corp., a leading provider of highly engineered technologies that help companies drill for and produce oil and gas. In this role, she led the human resources function when Apergy spun off Dover Corp. as a new public company. Before that, she held various HR roles within Baker Hughes Inc., Dover Corp., and Oxy Oil and Gas.
Alisa Newman Hood Amy Thompson
Alf Melin has been named Executive VP and Chief Financial Officer for TechnipFMC, effective January 25, 2021. Mr. Melin has been with the company since 1995 and has held multiple leadership positions in finance, treasury and operations. He now serves as Senior VP, Finance Operations, where he is responsible for the company’s global finance activities across all segments. Additionally, he has direct oversight of finance operations for the subsea segment. Prior to this, he held various operational roles, including Senior VP, Surface Americas, and General Manager, Fluid Control. A graduate of Lund University in Sweden, Mr. Melin’s service with the company includes eight years in various global locations. This appointment follows the resignation, also effective January 25, 2021, of Maryann Mannen as Executive VP and Chief Financial Officer, who is leaving the company.
Alf Melin
R. Grace & Co. has elected Cherée H. Johnson as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, with responsibility for all legal matters worldwide, including management of Grace’s legal department. As Corporate Secretary, Ms. Johnson is also responsible for corporate governance and matters relating to the board of directors. She also serves as Grace’s Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer. She succeeds Mark A. Shelnitz, who has retired from Grace. Ms. Johnson joins Grace from McCormick & Co. Inc., where she served as Vice President, Deputy General Counsel, Assistant Corporate Secretary and Chief Intellectual Property Counsel. Prior to joining McCormick, she was Deputy General Counsel at The Kraft Heinz Co. Ms. Johnson earned her BS degree in chemical engineering with Honors at Florida A&M University and her Juris Doctor at University of Minnesota Law School. She has been a member of several boards, including the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Advisory Board, and is a member of the American Bar Association and USPTO Patent Bar.
Cherée H. Johnson
Jose R. Pocaterra elected Chairman of the CITGO board of directors
The CITGO Petroleum Corp. board of directors has elected Jose R. Pocaterra as Chairman of the board of directors. Mr. Pocaterra brings more than 20 y of operational, marketing and financial professional experience in the oil and gas industry. Mr. Pocaterra held various positions in the budget, planning and financial reporting area for Sincrudos de Oriente (SINCOR), a joint venture (JV) between Petróleos de Venezuela, TOTAL and EQUINOR for the production and upgrading of extra-heavy oil in the Orinoco Belt in Venezuela.
His background also includes roles in procurement for U.S.-based Energy Logistics Inc. in Houston, Texas; data analysis for Swift Oil & Gas in Mobile, Alabama during the Deepwater Horizon crisis; and various financial advisory roles in Europe.
He holds a BS degree in business administration from the Universidad Santa María, Venezuela; a postgraduate diploma in corporate finance from Universidad Metropolitana, Venezuela; an MBA certificate from the University of Texas; and is a graduate of the Advanced Management Program of the Instituto de Estudios Superiores de Administración (IESA) School of Management, Venezuela.
The Author
Related Articles
From the Archive