PEOPLE WATCH
New moves for Hypertherm
Dick Couch .
Richard Lettieri .
Hypertherm , a U . S . -based manufacturer of industrial cutting systems and software , has announced the transition of Board Chair from founder Dick Couch to long-time Board member and current lead director , Richard Lettieri .
This change is part of a leadership and governance succession plan built by Dick and Barbara Couch and the Board of Directors over the past twenty years . The succession plan , which has included the intentional appointments of executive leadership , ensures the continuation of the values-based company culture and industry leadership established by Mr . Couch . Executive leadership of the company remains unchanged under Evan Smith ( President and CEO ). Mr . Couch , now Chair Emeritus , remains the trustee of Hypertherm ’ s Employee Stock Ownership Plan ( ESOP ), a role he has held since 2001 when the
plan was created . Dick and Barbara Couch will also continue to have an active presence at Hypertherm with the Couch Family Foundation office to be located in Hypertherm ’ s main Hanover facility .
Mr . Lettieri , who was unanimously selected Chair , is the founder of Dock Square Consultants Inc ., a firm established in 1985 to help companies navigate complex business challenges . He has served as a Hypertherm board member for 34 years , including seven years as the board ’ s lead director . In addition to Hypertherm , he serves as a director for Fidelity D & D Bancorp Inc . He is a graduate of both Lehigh University and Harvard Business School .
Founded in 1968 and based in New Hampshire , Hypertherm is a 100 per cent Associate-owned company with operations and partner representation worldwide . n
FlexQube appoints new CFO
FlexQube has appointed Heidi Bader as Chief Financial Officer and she will start her new role at the end of August 2021 . She has a background with AB Volvo Group and has worked with international finance and business control for many years . Her most recent role was at DB Schenker . Current CFO , Mikael Lindbäck , will remain in the company until a proper handover has taken place .
CEO , Anders Fogelberg , commented : ” I am very happy to welcome Heidi to FlexQube , taking on the role as CFO and
becoming a member of the management team . With extensive experience from financial reporting , control and business planning internationally in her previous roles , she will be a key player for us in our continued global growth journey .”
FlexQube , headquartered in Gothenburg , Sweden , with subsidiaries in USA , Mexico , Germany and England , offers solutions for cart-based material handling using a patented modular concept . It develops and designs customised solutions for robotic mechanical cart logistics . n
Enis Ersü leaves ISRA VISION |
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One of the founding fathers of the German machine vision industry was due to retire from his position as CEO of ISRA VISION AG at the end of June 2021 , after 36 years .
While working as a research associate , Enis Ersü founded ISRA VISION as a spin-off from the Technical University ( TU ) of Darmstadt . ISRA ( intelligent systems , robots and automation ) was one of the first German startups with a strategic business case focused on combining machine vision , robotics and automation technology . After ten years , the company turned its focus exclusively on the “ electronic eye .”
With more than 850 employees at 25 sites in more than 15 countries reporting about € 150 million before the pandemic , ISRA VISION has been led by Enis Ersü with a strategy based on customer-oriented innovation ,
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organic and external growth . Diversifying its business across more than nine different sectors was just as significant as the strategic acquisition of eleven companies .
Ersü considers his team to be the key to success : “ For over 36 years , I have enjoyed the privilege of working with an outstanding team . I am very grateful to all of my employees , colleagues , customers , and partners who accompanied me on this exciting journey and who put their weight behind strategic measures and bold decisions .” Ersü also left his mark on several industry associations . He now intends to support young technology companies in a consulting capacity .
ISRA VISION will now be operating from Darmstadt as part of Atlas Copco ’ s new Machine Vision division , headed by a team of three
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while also fostering |
Enis Ersü . |
executives . n |
Porsche Cars Great Britain selects CEO
Sarah Simpson will join Porsche Cars GB and Porsche Retail Group as Chief Executive Officer on 1 September 2021 , taking over from Marcus Eckermann who is set to take up a new role within Porsche AG .
“ The team at Porsche – in Reading and in our Porsche Centres across the country – has an excellent reputation . It is a truly exciting time to join the brand , as it progresses further on the path to electrification , while continuing to offer emotive petrolpowered products such as the 911 GT3 ,” said Sarah Simpson .
Simpson has worked for the
Sarah Simpson .
Volkswagen Group for more than 20 years ( the past decade with Bentley Motors ). Joining the company as operations director , Simpson became regional director for Bentley ’ s home market , the UK , in 2014 . Over the past seven years , she assumed responsibility for other international regions , such as Asia Pacific , before becoming regional director for UK , Middle East , Africa and India in January 2020 . n
10 | sheetmetalplus . com | ISMR July / August 2021