CNH, one of the leading construction, off-road and agriculture equipment manufacturers globally, has announced its new Global Leadership Team (GLT), which it says is empowered to carry out faster and more effective delivery of its strategic priorities for profitable long-term growth globally in the agriculture segment.

Furthermore, the construction segment is set to operate as a distinct business unit inside CNH with increased autonomy.

The company has announced that Gerrit Marx assumes direct responsibility for the Agriculture segment as CEO of CNH, encompassing the previous role of President, Agriculture. He had recently rejoined CNH succeeding Scott Wine.

Humayun Chishti is appointed as President, Construction. He had joined CNH in 2002 and was previously the Finance Business Partner for Construction. 

Douglas MacLeod is confirmed as President, Financial Services. He has been with CNH for more than 15 years.

According to CNH, the new GLT is organised in a simplified matrix and comprises industry-leading experts and practitioners from within the company. Effective August 1, 2024, all roles will report to the CEO.

Regional rejig

Alongside the presidents of construction and financial services with their specific responsibilities for the profitability of their respective segments, the region heads are responsible for the financial performance and commercial execution of the agriculture segment in their respective regions. Their goal is to deliver customer-centric excellence and strategic growth.

Narinder Mittal has been appointed as President, India for CNH. This appointment recognises the significant and increasing strategic position of India as a market itself, a sourcing and manufacturing hub, and home to engineering centers of excellence for CNH’s iron and tech. He previously held the position of India Country Manager and had first joined CNH in 2016.

Vilmar Fistarol is confirmed as President, North America. He has over 30 years of experience with the company.

Carlo Alberto Sisto has been appointed President, EMEA. He had joined CNH in 1998.

Rafael Miotto was confirmed as President, Latin America, and has over 20 years of experience with CNH.

Luca Mainardi is appointed as President, Asia Pacific – excluding India. He has been with CNH for over 20 years – most recently as China Country Manager and Head of Brand Management & Commercial Services in Asia Pacific.

Function Heads

Stefano Pampalone has been appointed as Agriculture Chief Commercial Officer with global responsibility for the agriculture segment’s commercial strategy, brand and aftermarket activities. He was previously President, Construction where he led the turnaround of this business to record margin growth in 2023. He had joined CNH in 1999.

Oddone Incisa is confirmed as CFO and has over 25 years of service with the company.

Jay Schroeder appointed as the CTO, who come with over 30 years of experience with CNH, covering roles of increasing responsibility in R&D, most recently as Head of Agriculture Product Development.

Carlos Santiago appointed as Chief Manufacturing Officer, who will also assume responsibility for the CNH Business System. He was previously responsible for quality and special projects, rejoining CNH in 2023 after close to a decade with Daimler and Mercedes-Benz overseeing industrial operations first in Brazil, and then in North America.

Tom Verbaeten has been confirmed as Chief Supply Chain Officer, who has been with CNH since 1994.

Chun Woytera appointed as Chief Quality & Customer Advocacy Officer and Chief Sustainability Officer, transitioning from her role as President, Asia Pacific. In this newly created position Woytera, who has been with CNH since 1997, will continue to advance overall quality, a cornerstone of customer success and future growth.

Kelly Manley is confirmed as Chief Human Resources Officer. She had joined CNH in 2021.

Roberto Russo is confirmed as Chief Legal and Compliance Officer, having been with the company for over 35 years.

The Internal Audit function – led by Glenn Robertson – reports directly to the Audit Committee of the CNH Board of Directors.

Gerrit Marx, CEO, CNH said, “I am confident that this leadership team will accelerate the delivery of world-class products and services that elevate our customers’ experience. Our unstinting focus on quality, our brands and the convergence of world-class iron and technology will guide our operational execution. I look forward to presenting our updated strategic plan at an Investor Day in early 2025 – Breaking New Ground together as we continue to claim our own turf in a competitive landscape. On behalf of the company, I wish to thank Fritz Eichler, Marc Kermisch and Scott Moran for their valuable contributions and wish them all every success in their future endeavors outside of CNH.”

The European Union voted in favour of imposing extra tariffs on China-made EVs by up to 45 percent on 4 October 2024. Threatening a broader trade conflict with a country that has already vowed to protect its companies and is considered as the factory of the world, the move has been criticised by the auto industry and various EU member states.

With growing demand for EU and China resolving their differences through dialogue, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade is known to express that it is opposed to be the move.

With the technical teams from China and the EU set to resume talks on 7 October 2024, the situation in EU as far as the auto OEMs like Volkswagen Group, Stellantis and BMW Group are concerned, there have been instances of profit warnings.  

Weak demand, rising costs, global competition, trade wars, geopolitical situations, subsidies and company-specific factors are among the reasons being underlined for the profit warnings by European automakers.

Receiving necessary support with 10 members backing the tariffs, 12 abstaining and five members – including Germany – voting against, the European Union, claim sources aware of the development, has been urged by the auto industry to negotiate with China for better terms and conditions rather than to reach the level were a trader war looks eminent.

Present in the China market for a decade or more, many European automakers seem to fear if the tariffs imposed on Chinese EVs will lead to negative consequences in that market for them.

Volkswagen is known to have said that the tariffs are ‘the wrong approach’. There is a need for the two sides to negotiate and find the middle way, mentioned an industry source in Germany in response to the tariffs by EU.

Image courtesy: EmDee (Wikipedia)

The Association of Indian Forging Industry (AIFI), the apex body representing the forging industry in the country has announced its new officer bearers for 2024-26. 

The committee has elected Yash Munot as the new President of AIFI, while S.  Ravishankar was elected as the Vice-President.

Munot, who succeeds Vikas Bajaj, had previously served as Vice-President of AIFI from 2020 to 2024, is now also the youngest to be appointed as the President in the organisation's history. 

He currently serves as the CEO at Varsha Forgings and the Managing Director at KCTR Varsha Automotive. Munot begun his journey in the forging industry in 2005 joining his family business - Varsha Forgings. He was also instrumental in organising major industry events like IFC 2011, Forgetech  India 2016, Asia Forge 2019 and ForgeTech India 2023. He has served as the Western Region Chairman from 2018 to 2020. 

“The forging sector in India is at a pivotal juncture, with tremendous opportunities for innovation and growth. Our focus will be on fostering collaboration within the industry, driving technological advancements and promoting sustainable practices. I am committed to working closely with all stakeholders to ensure that our industry not only thrives domestically but also strengthens and enhances its global footprint. Together, we will build on the strong foundation laid by my predecessors and strive for excellence in every aspect of our work," said Munot.

S Ravishankar added, “I will strive for advancing our industry’s progress and tackling the challenges presented by a rapidly changing global landscape. Our priorities will include boosting competitiveness, driving innovation and equipping our members for future opportunities. I look forward to embracing the exciting prospects ahead and contributing to AIFI’s continued success during this transformative era”

He (Ravishankar) currently serves as the MD at Super Auto Forge and has over 25 years of experience in the auto component manufacturing industry. He is a Manufacturing Engineer with Bachelors degree from Annamalai University and Masters degree from The Ohio State University.

It was in 1997, after working in Detroit for two years, Ravishankar returned to India and joined his family business at Super Auto Forge. He has been instrumental in developing the international business of SAF and led the initiative to establish marketing offices in Detroit in 2001, followed by Belgium in 2011. He has been the Chairman of Indo American Chamber of Commerce for the period 2008 – 2009 – Tamil Nadu Branch and currently serves on the Southern Regional Committee of ACMA since 2021.

Automechanika Frankfurt has cemented its position as the leading international trade fair for the automotive industry with the successful conclusion of Automechanika Frankfurt 2024. 

The slogan of this year’s Automechanika was ‘Driving Transformation’, with topics such as electrification, vehicle connectivity, driver assistance systems and digitalisation taking the centre stage. The fair was held from 10 to 14 September 2024 and saw 4,200 companies from 80 countries displaying their products and solutions for retail, workshops and industry. Spread over an area of 320,000 square metres and 26 hall levels, the event witnessed a total of 108,000 visitors from 172 countries.

Visitors had the chance to see cars with alternative drive systems up close, such as electric, hydrogen, and hybrid models, and even take a ride in the Future Mobility Park and the related expert forum Innovation4Mobility. For even more highlights, there were brand-new event types available, such as an exhilarating rally. Ninety-four percent of attendees, 70 percent of whom were foreign visitors, expressed satisfaction with the event, not just with the trade fair's offerings but also with their aims being met.

An emphasis on sustainable technologies, products and solutions was highlighted at Automechanika this year. Several talks on remanufacturing and circular economy tactics were held on the stage in the new Sustainability Court in Hall 5.0. This year also saw the opening of ‘Ambition’, a dedicated Gen Z section in Hall 3.1 with live acts, panel discussions and succinct, fascinating presentations to pique the interest of young people in the automotive professions. This action was taken as a result of the well-known lack of qualified workers in the automobile sector.

Detlef Braun, Member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt, commented, “Even in the midst of the digital transformation, the industry once again demonstrated its wealth of innovation, providing countless highlights over the course of the five-day event. Together with our exhibitors, we were able to find the right players to present the most important topics – including alternative drive systems, sustainability and the use of AI and robotics in the automotive aftermarket – on the stages and in the exhibition halls. We are also delighted by growing demand from both German and international visitors.”

Michael Johannes, Vice President Mobility & Logistics, Messe Frankfurt, said “Never before has Automechanika in Frankfurt had a supporting programme and range of events like this. Our roster of presentations and practical workshops covered a wide range of topics, including bodywork and paintwork, electric vehicles, commercial vehicles, caravan repair, 3D printing, detailing and much else besides. These were very well received by the professionals, and students and pupils took advantage of the opportunities on offer to find out for themselves what some of the automotive trades and professions are like. One of this year’s new additions was a programme and area devoted especially to Generation Z. We wanted to draw their attention to the professional opportunities that are available in the fascinating world of the automotive industry – and we were very successful.”

Castrol India, a leading lubricant manufacturer, has announced that it has achieved a significant sustainability milestone by increasing recycled content in its high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic bottles to 50 percent. 

With this, the company aims to achieve 2,600 metric tonnes of annual recycled plastic usage in its packaging portfolio by 2024.

The step builds upon its previous actions to help make its packaging more sustainable, including the commercialisation of 100 percent recycled bottles for POWER1 range in 2022 and the incorporation of 30 percent recycled content across its entire bottle packaging in 2023.

This latest change aligns seamlessly with Castrol’s global PATH360 strategy, which aims to reduce its plastic footprint by half by 2030.

Sandeep Sangwan, MD, Castrol India said, “We are proud to announce this milestone in our journey towards more sustainable packaging. This achievement is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team, who have overcome challenges to develop packaging solutions that meet our high standards for quality and aesthetics.”

In addition to packaging, Castrol India aims to have more sustainable manufacturing practices. The company’s production facilities utilise energy-efficient technologies and renewable energy sources to seek to reduce its operational greenhouse gas emissions.