People in Composites: March 2022

SAMPE UK & Ireland Committee welcomes new member

Gemma Smith, new SAMPE UK & Ireland member.

Gemma Smith, Fluency Marketing (Chesterfield, U.K.) managing director, is the latest member to be welcomed onto the committee at the Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering. Gemma has long supported the institute alongside 125 of her fellow members across the U.K. and Ireland, joining more than 1,000 members across Europe committed to the recognition of advanced materials and its associated practices.

Pioneering in her aptitude for marketing partnerships within the engineering industry, Smith makes up one of five female committee members and is said to be paving the way for female recognition and leading bodies for the advanced materials sector.

“I am honored to have been accepted onto the SAMPE UK & Ireland committee as its latest member,” Smith says. “I see huge value in membership and engagement with SAMPE on a global level and look forward to helping this Chapter expand its reach and diversity through my own personal experience and network.”

Bringing her wealth of expertise in marketing for high-performance composite materials, the SAMPE committee will benefit from Smith’s extensive knowledge and network connections that she has curated for more than four years. 

“With her invaluable experience in advanced materials, Gemma’s addition to the committee will expand our growing community of talented individuals, supporting local and international composite businesses for a more sustainable tomorrow,” adds Tim Wybrow, chairman of the board.

STRUCTeam announces new shareholders as company drives rapid growth

STRUCTeam shareholders.

STRUCTeam (Cowes, U.K.), an independent composite engineering consultancy, announces the addition of five new shareholders who bring added expertise and commitment to support the company as it continues to develop new business areas and drive growth.

Gerry Northwood OBE, Jean-Luc Guillaume, Dr. Roman Hillermeier, Dr. Joseph Laux and Jo Chipperfield offer extensive experience in the wind, automotive and transportation sectors as well as strength in materials development and organizational change. All these areas will be central to the business moving ahead with its development plans and delivering profitable growth. Along with the management team, they will help ensure STRUCTeam operates efficiently and realizes its full potential.

The new shareholders will also support the company’s long-term objectives within the renewables, automotive and marine sectors. These target improved sustainability in wind blade design and manufacture, the use of multimaterials in electric vehicle (EV) battery enclosures and the specification of composites in marine structures to increase energy efficient production and reduce CO₂ emissions.

“We remain committed to meeting and surpassing our clients’ expectations through agile and cost-effective service offerings,” Julien Sellier, founder and managing director of STRUCTeam, says. “Our new shareholders are already significant contributors to the business and bring valuable insight, commitment and professionalism. This is an important milestone for the company as we seek to maintain our growth trajectory into 2022.”

Jean-Luc Guillaume, senior consultant

A PhD in polymer chemistry, Jean-Luc has had a career in coatings and composite materials that spans four decades in companies such as Dow Chemical (Midland, Mich., U.S.) and Olin (Clayton, Mo., U.S.), mostly focused on epoxy chemistries. He now brings this wealth of experience and knowledge to bear on STL’s strategic development of new composite material technologies and innovative thinking about renewables planning and R&D.

Roman Hillermeier, transportation market sector leader

Roman has more than 20 years of composites experience in technology and business development roles. He is expanding STRUCTeam’s service offering within the automotive and transportation sectors through the delivery of engineering, management and supply chain services.

Joseph Laux, senior technical advisor

Joseph has held positions in the world’s leading transportation and material companies. He supports the company’s automotive business and applies 30 years of in-depth knowledge and expertise.

Gerry Northwood, senior consultant

Gerry advises the team on operational and HR matters. He is a former Royal Navy officer who, since leaving the service in 2012, has become an experienced chief operating officer (COO) and consultant in small- to medium-size businesses.

Jo Chipperfield, general manager

Jo is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the U.K. office where she applies her organizational skills. Due to her strong background in the composite materials sector, she also plays a significant role in STRUCTeam’s service delivery.

Dirk Hoke to become new CEO of Volocopter

Dirk Hoke, future Volocopter CEO.

On March 8, Dirk Hoke, former CEO of Airbus Defence & Space (Taufkirchen, Germany), was announced as chief executive officer (CEO) and managing director of Volocopter (Bruschal, Germany) by the company’s Advisory Board, starting September 2022. He will follow Florian Reuter, who has led Volocopter from a five-person startup to a 500-strong global company with unicorn status over the past seven years.

Hoke brings extensive experience in leading big-tech entities within Airbus and Siemens from a technical, strategic and commercial side. His strong track record in transformation and digitalization is said to make him the candidate of choice. 

“Bringing electric air taxis to market in the next years is a dream come true not only for me but for many,” says Dirk Hoke, future CEO of Volocopter. “My experience from Airbus and Siemens will help us monetize on the leading market position Volocopter has achieved under Florian’s leadership. Volocopter’s product lineup, its certification progress, team spirit and ecosystem approach put us in a unique, competitive position.”

Reuter will leave Volocopter upon his own wishes after a successful handover period to Hoke has been completed in September 2022. “I have known Dirk for a number of years and am convinced that his experience and leadership style are a perfect match for the strategy and culture at Volocopter, which is why I put his name forward to the Board,” notes Reuter. “It has been a privilege and honor to serve as Volocopter CEO to a world-class team from across the globe. It is thanks to every single one of them that Volocopter continues to lead air taxi development. I’m proud of the team and wish Dirk all the best.”
 

Cannon Group announces passing of Carlo Fiorentini

Cannon Group’s Carlo Fiorentini.

It is with deep regret that Cannon Group (Milan, Italy) announced the passing of Eng. Carlo Fiorentini on March 3, 2022 at the age of 91.

Carlo Fiorentini was born in Bologna, Italy, in 1930 and graduated with a degree in industrial engineering chemistry. After gaining professional experience at Rhodiatoce and Grace, he was appointed by engineer Leonardo Volpato in 1963 to direct the newly founded Cannon Afros company located in Caronno Pertusella.

Fiorentini focused his knowledge of polymer chemistry on the burgeoning polyurethane industry. He soon identified new methods for mixing formulations that the chemical industry was increasingly developing for diverse industrial applications such as domestic refrigerators.

In 1979, after patenting a mixing head for compact and glass fiber-reinforced polyurethanes, Fiorentini designed the FPL — a mixing head suitable for pouring in open mold with laminar flow, thus eliminating foam spraying and paving the way for the automation of that process. This device, according to the company, was followed by dozens of other patents, including the development of CarDio^T, the technology for expanding continuously cast flexible foams using liquid carbon dioxide instead of environmentally harmful blowing agents.

For introducing so many innovative solutions to the worldwide polyurethanes industry, Fiorentini — after receiving the gold medal of the FSK (the German association of foam manufacturers) — was inducted into the “Hall of Fame of Polyurethanes” by the American API (Alliance for Polyurethanes Industry) in 2000, along with other pioneers of this sector.

Fiorentini’s contribution was not only about technology and continuous innovation, but he was also strongly committed to the company’s commercial development. He is said to have generated new opportunities abroad, setting up the first agency in Denmark in 1969, continuing to strengthen the business with its first manufacturing site in the U.S. in 1977, and the first branch of a European company operating in polyurethanes sector in Japan in 1982.

President of the Cannon Group for several decades, his innovative spirit and constant search for new solutions have inspired the group’s R&D activities, which they say will continue with the same passion and determination.

Boom Supersonic expands, strengthens leadership team with C-Suite hires

Stephen Weiland, Boom Supersonic CFO.

Boom Supersonic (Denver, Colo., U.S.) has announced that Stephen Weiland has joined as the company’s chief financial officer (CFO) and Rich Harris as its first chief legal officer. The two executive appointments are part of Boom’s continuing growth, strengthening the company’s management team as it focuses on commercializing Overture, its flagship supersonic aircraft. 

Weiland brings 20 years of experience in finance leadership, corporate development, investment banking and accounting across multiple industries. Weiland previously served at Caterpillar Inc. (Deerfield, Ill., U.S.) as a division CFO for several global divisions including manufacturing, engineering, digital and procurement whose combined workforce exceeded 16,000 employees. He originally joined Caterpillar’s Corporate Development team following work as an investment banker and has additional background in public audit.

“Boom is developing airplanes that will transform the future of travel, and I am excited to help bring that future to life,” Weiland says. “I look forward to working with Boom’s team to build a financial organization that supports all Boom stakeholders — including investors, employees, customers and suppliers — as we prepare for the next phase of the company’s growth.”

Boom’s new chief legal officer, Rich Harris.

Boom’s new chief legal officer, Rich Harris, brings more than 25 years of global general counsel experience across both public and private companies to the team. Previously, Harris served as group general counsel at Inmarsat plc (London, U.K.), a commercial satellite operator, where he also led corporate M&A. He has held additional roles as senior vice president (VP) and general counsel at Stratos Global Corp. (North Bethesda, Md., U.S.) and Segovia Inc. (Reston, Va., U.S.)/ Most recently, Harris served as the general counsel and a founding shareholder of Measure Global Inc. (Washington, D.C., U.S.), a privately held company focused on commercial drone applications.

“There couldn’t be a more exciting time to join Boom,” Harris says. “Boom presents a unique opportunity to improve how we travel around the world, and that inspires me. I’m thrilled to help build the structures that will help Boom succeed as a generational company.”

Lockheed Martin announces new Skunk Works leader

Lockheed Martin (Bethesda, Md., U.S.) has announced John Clark as VP and general manager of the Advanced Development Programs (ADP) — also known as Skunk Works — succeeding Jeff Babione who will retire at the end of March 2022. This change is effective April 4.

“John’s extensive experience in engineering and his previous Skunk Works assignments qualifies and positions him to step in and lead this team as they continue to build on the innovative legacy the Skunk Works are known for,” Greg Ulmer, executive VP, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, says. “He is focused on building customer relationships and collaboration across the business to bring the best of Lockheed Martin to address the rapidly evolving threat environment.”

A Lockheed Martin employee for more than 23 years, Clark most recently served as VP Engineering and Technology, where he ensured the technical integrity of Aeronautics’ products and processes, supported technical concept development and led the development and resourcing of more than 8,000 engineers. He also served as VP of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance & Unmanned Aircraft Systems (ISR&UAS) for the Skunk Works. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and a Master’s degree in business administration from Texas Christian University.

“I want to congratulate Jeff Babione for his many significant contributions to Lockheed Martin. With nearly 30 years of service with the company, Jeff’s had the experience of working across our fighter programs supporting the development, production and sustainment of our F-16, F-22, and F-35,” Ulmer adds. “Jeff has led with a strong commitment to supporting our warfighters, which made him a natural fit at the Skunk Works where he demonstrated the foundational principles of the organization — quick, quiet and quality.”

Vestas Wind Systems announces change in Board of Directors

As of March 16, Vestas Wind Systems A/S (Aarhus, Denmark) board member Kim Hvid Thomsen (elected by the group’s employees) has announced that he will step down as member of the Board of Directors as of April 30, 2022. Claus Skov Christensen, currently alternate, will take over as member of the Board of Directors as of May 1, 2022.

Trelleborg promotes Tsuleff to director of supply chain management for the Americas

Tom Tsuleff, Trelleborg director of supply chain management.

Trelleborg Sealing Solutions (Fort Wayne, Ind., U.S.) has promoted Tom Tsuleff to director of supply chain management for the Americas.

In this role, Tsuleff will use his expertise and the relationships he has built throughout the organization to lead the supply chain management team and execute Trelleborg initiatives.

“Tom has the proven knowledge and experience this position requires,” Thomas Uhlig, president of global supply chain management, says. “He played a pivotal role in Trelleborg achieving Foreign Trade Zone status for our Logistics Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and prides himself on taking care of his team.”

Tsuleff started his career with Trelleborg in 2003 and served in several positions in Purchasing and Procurement, including managing both departments. In 2016, he was promoted to logistics manager responsible for Trelleborg’s Logistics Center in Fort Wayne. Tsuleff holds a Master’s in business administration from Ball State University (Muncie, Ind., U.S.) and a Bachelor’s degree in business administration, accounting and business management from Xavier University (Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.).

Trelleborg appoints Hook to quality manager, supply chain management Americas

Jeff Hook, Trelleborg quality manager, supply chain management Americas.

Trelleborg Sealing Solutions has also appointed Jeff Hook to the role of quality manager, supply chain management Americas.

In this role, Hook will be responsible for the implementation of quality management programs across a range of industries. This includes supporting Trelleborg facilities across the U.S. to achieve relevant industry certifications.

“Jeff is a great fit for this role given his previous experience. He not only enriches our organization with his professional perspective on production but also with his attitude and actions as a leader,” Marcus Heim, director global quality and management systems, says. “I am really looking forward to taking our processes to the next level with Jeff’s oversight.”

Hook spent 27 years at Sanoh America (Findlay, Ohio, U.S.) serving in several senior positions including VP of production, VP of quality and strategic planning, director of quality and VP of quality and advanced quality planning. Most recently, Hook was the quality manager at Faurecia Corp. (Fort Wayne, Ind., U.S.). Hook has an MBA from Bowling Green State University (Ohio) with an emphasis in procurement, materials management, production and operations management.

Web Industries announces new company president

John S. Madej, Web Industries president.

Web Industries Inc. (Marlborough, Mass., U.S.) a provider of contract converting and turnkey manufacturing services, announced that John S. Madej has joined the company as president. He will report to Mark Pihl, who will continue in his current role as CEO.

Madej joins Web Industries from Hollingsworth & Vose (H&V, Mass., U.S.), where he most recently served as chief operating officer (COO) and previously as chief financial officer (CFO). He joined H&V in 2009 as vice president and general manager of the Energy and Industrial Systems Business Unit. He was also the division president of the Engine and Industrial Filtration Division.

For more than 24 years, Madej served in a variety of leadership roles at General Electric (GE, Boston, Mass., U.S.). He was president and CEO of Exatec LLC, a GE-Bayer joint venture. He also served as a product general manager based in Tokyo, Japan, for four years. Preceding his overseas assignment for GE, Madej held foundational positions in sales and market team leadership in multiple industry segments ranging from business equipment to automotive. Madej earned a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from Union College.

“John is a gifted leader and strategist. His experience as a global industrial executive and ability to successfully scale and grow businesses profitably will help us position the company for significant growth ahead,” says Pihl. “John is a leader who puts people first and has a strong commitment to teamwork and continuous improvement. As Web continues to evolve in our strategic markets and expand internationally, look for John to apply his experience to focus our market teams on providing exceptional value to customers by building strong partnerships and driving innovation through operational excellence and next-generation technology.”

“I am excited to join the Web Industries team and work together to continue to develop the company and expand the growing business,” says Madej. “Working closely with its customers, Web Industries has a successful track record of global growth across diverse markets. I look forward to collaborating with the team, expanding the company’s capabilities and delivering improved productivity and performance for our customers into the future.”