October 11, 2012
Caterpillar contact:
Jim Dugan
Office 309-494-4100
Mobile 309-360-7311
dugan_jim@cat.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Caterpillar Announces Executive Office Retirements
and Appointments
Group Presidents Rich Lavin and Gerard Vittecoq to Retire,
Group President and CFO Ed Rapp to Replace Lavin, Brad
Halverson and Jim Umpleby Appointed Group Presidents
PEORIA, Ill.-Following a combined 65 years of
outstanding service and contributions to the company,
Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) announced today that Group
Presidents Rich Lavin and Gerard Vittecoq have elected to
retire. Lavin is a Caterpillar group president with
responsibility for Construction Industries & Growth
Markets. Vittecoq is a group president with responsibility
for Energy & Power Systems. The company also announced that
Caterpillar's Board of Directors has appointed current
Group President and CFO Ed Rapp as Lavin's replacement.
Brad Halverson will replace Rapp as a group president and
CFO and Jim Umpleby has been appointed to replace Vittecoq
as group president for Energy & Power Systems.
"We will be saying goodbye to fantastic leaders with these
retirements, but we have a deep and talented group of
Caterpillar executives," said Caterpillar Chairman and CEO
Doug Oberhelman. "I am confident our new leaders will build
on the work of their predecessors as we move toward our
2015 goals and beyond."
Rich Lavin Retirement
"Rich has provided remarkable leadership and strategic
vision for Caterpillar and will leave an indelible legacy
behind for the work he has done to grow our operations and
presence in key developing markets, particularly in Asia,"
Oberhelman said. "I want to extend well deserved
congratulations to Rich for all he has done for our
business and wish him a long and happy retirement,"
Oberhelman added.
Lavin joined Caterpillar in 1984 as an attorney in
what is now the Law and Public Policy Division. He was
appointed to Caterpillar's executive office in 2007 and
moved to Hong Kong, where he was the first Caterpillar
executive officer to reside and work in Asia. Lavin's work
in this role has had a significant impact on enhancing the
company's brand and reputation in this region. Before
becoming a group president, he was vice president of
manufacturing operations for the Asia Pacific Division,
serving as chairman of Shin Caterpillar Mitsubishi Ltd.
(SCM)-now Caterpillar Japan Ltd. (CJL)-and chairman of
Caterpillar (China) Investment Co., Ltd. Lavin was named a
Caterpillar vice president in 2001, serving as Human
Services Division vice president until 2004 when he was
named vice president with responsibility for Caterpillar's
Asia Pacific Manufacturing Operations. During his career,
Lavin held senior executive and leadership positions in
Hong Kong; Beijing, China; Bangalore, India and Tokyo,
Japan. Previously, he was product manager in the Track-Type
Tractors Division, director of corporate human relations
and director of compensation and benefits.
Lavin has a bachelor's degree from Western Illinois
University and law degrees from Creighton University and
Georgetown University. He also completed a Brookings
Institute management program and a Carnegie Mellon
executive development program. In November 2009, he was
appointed to the board of directors of USG Corporation, a
leading building products company. He is also a member of
the board of directors of the U.S. China Business Council,
U.S. India Business Council and the U.S. Korea Business
Council. He is a member of The Conference Board and The
Chicago Council of Global Affairs. He serves on the
International Advisory Council of Guanghua School of
Management at Peking University and the Board of Trustees
at Bradley University. In 2010, he was appointed to serve
on the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Business
Advisory Council (ABAC), which provides private sector
input to the leaders of 21 economies comprising the
APEC.
Gerard Vittecoq Retirement
"Over the course of his more than 37 years with
Caterpillar, Gerard has built a reputation for mentoring
and developing leaders from his home base in Geneva,
Switzerland," Oberhelman said. "Gerard was instrumental in
providing executive leadership as we focused on improving
product quality and a culture of safety by driving the
integration of the Caterpillar Production System around the
world. More recently, his leadership and guidance has been
critical, as Caterpillar has significantly expanded its
energy and power systems business with the key acquisitions
of Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) and gas engine manufacturing
MWM Holding GmbH (MWM). These acquisitions have expanded
Caterpillar's strategic businesses, and Gerard will be
remembered for the leadership he provided as these
businesses were added to Caterpillar," Oberhelman
added.
Vittecoq was appointed to Caterpillar's executive office in
2003. He joined Caterpillar in 1975, holding various
accounting and finance positions during his first six years
with the company. In 1982, he was appointed finance
representative and later assistant manager at Caterpillar
Overseas S.A. (COSA). In 1985, he became comptroller for
COSA. Vittecoq was appointed director of COSA strategy and
planning in 1990. In 1995, he was promoted to managing
director of Caterpillar France S.A. In 1998, Vittecoq
became managing director of Caterpillar Belgium S.A. In
2001, he was appointed vice president with administrative
responsibility for the Europe, Africa and the Middle East
(EAME) Operations Division.
Vittecoq has a master's degree from Ecole Superieure
of Commerce (France) and a master's degree in business
administration from Laval University (Canada). He is a
certified public accountant (CPA), and he completed the
executive program in international management at Columbia
University. Vittecoq is a member of the Foundation Board of
the International Institute for Management Development
(IMD), a member of the Evian Group: Free Trade Think Tank,
executive member of the World Business Council for
Sustainable Development (WBCSD), member of the senior
advisory council of the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce
and a director of Best Buy-a multinational retailer of
technology and entertainment products and services.
Ed Rapp Becomes Construction Industries Group President
Caterpillar's Board of Directors has appointed current
Group President and CFO Ed Rapp as group president with
responsibility for Construction Industries, replacing
Lavin. As part of this transition, the Hong Kong-based
headquarters office for Caterpillar's Construction
Industries group will relocate to Singapore, where Rapp
will be based in his new role effective January 1,
2013.
"As we weighed the complexity of this role across the
range of products and geographies and looked at the
critical areas of responsibility for this position, it was
clear that Ed was the best person for this position,"
Oberhelman said. "Ed brings proven executive-level
leadership and demonstrated success to this position. He
will provide focus and strategic vision as we work toward
our market leadership goals for China and other key growth
markets."
Rapp has been a member of Caterpillar's executive office
since 2007. He was named a Caterpillar vice president in
2000, serving as the head of the EAME Marketing Division
until 2004 when he was named vice president with
responsibility for the Building Construction Products
Division.
Rapp joined Caterpillar as a pricing analyst in 1979. Over
the next several years, he held positions with increasing
responsibility related to pricing, production scheduling,
marketing, dealer development, manufacturing and product
development. In the 1990s, he held positions as a district
manager in San Francisco, the area manager in Johannesburg,
South Africa, and then held several senior positions in
Geneva, Switzerland, before being named a vice president
with responsibility for EAME Marketing in 2000.
Rapp has a bachelor's degree in finance from the University
of Missouri-Columbia and is a graduate of the University of
Illinois Executive Development program.
He is a member of the board of directors of FMGlobal and
Junior Achievement USA. Rapp is also a member of the
University of Missouri College of Business Strategic
Development Board.
Halverson Appointed CFO and Group President
Caterpillar's Board of Directors has elected Brad
Halverson, currently a Caterpillar vice president with
responsibility for Finance Services Division, as chief
financial officer (CFO) and group president of Corporate
Services.
"During his 25 year career, Brad has built substantial
deep expertise within our accounting and finance
operations, working in positions of increasing
responsibility in multiple business units in the United
States and in Europe," Oberhelman said. "In addition, Brad
has held a number of accounting and finance roles at the
corporate level that have helped to drive standard work and
process improvements across this critical service business
for our company. He has played an important role in our
most recent strategic planning initiatives, providing key
leadership to develop our metrics and plan for delivering
total shareholder return. Together, this deep business unit
and corporate experience in the field gives him an ideal
perspective and background for the CFO role within our
executive office," Oberhelman added.
Halverson was named a vice president in 2010. He has had a
variety of experiences of increasing responsibilities at
Caterpillar. After auditing and tax experience with Price
Waterhouse, he joined the company in 1988 as an accountant.
In 1993, he moved to Geneva, Switzerland, as a strategy and
planning consultant with Caterpillar Overseas S.A. He went
on to become controller in Europe, responsible for
Caterpillar's financial reporting in EAME and returned to
the United States in 1996 to manage general accounting and
financial systems. From 1998 until 2002, Halverson provided
financial leadership as a business resources manager in
Caterpillar's Engine Division and was named director of
corporate business development before becoming corporate
controller in December 2004.
Halverson graduated with a bachelor's degree in accounting
in 1982, and earned an Executive MBA in 1996, both from the
University of Illinois. He is a certified public accountant
and member of the American Institute of CPAs. He serves on
the OSF St. Francis Medical Center Community Advisory Board
and is vice chairman of the Illinois Easter Seals Affiliate
Board. Halverson's replacement will be named in the near
future. Halverson will assume his new role effective
January 1, 2013.
Umpleby Appointed Group President
Caterpillar's Board of Directors has elected Jim Umpleby,
currently vice president with responsibility for Solar
Turbines, as a group president with responsibility for
Caterpillar's Energy & Power Systems business.
"With more than 30 years of leadership experience with
Solar Turbines and Caterpillar, Jim brings extensive
knowledge and understanding of the global energy and power
systems industry to our executive office," Oberhelman said.
"Jim understands the highly complex and global nature of
the customers we serve in the energy, rail and power
industries. As the leader of our Solar Turbines business,
he has demonstrated results in a global business, serving
customers in the oil and gas and power generation
industries. Jim's deep expertise in these industries and
his demonstrated success as the vice president for Solar
Turbines make him an ideal leader for our Energy & Power
Systems group," Oberhelman said.
Umpleby was named a Caterpillar vice president and the
president of Solar Turbines in 2010. During his career with
Solar, he has worked around the world in positions with
increasing responsibilities in engineering, manufacturing,
sales and customer services.
Umpleby joined Solar Turbines in 1980 as an associate
engineer. Over the course of the next decade with Solar, he
held a number of engineering and sales positions including
assignments in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In
1994, he became the director of power systems operations
and facility manager of Solar's Kearny Mesa gas turbine
packaging facility. In 1997, he became a Solar vice
president with responsibility for customer services and in
2000 was named Solar vice president for Turbomachinery
Products. In 2005, Umpleby assumed responsibilities as a
general manager for global services for Caterpillar, a
Peoria-based assignment in Caterpillar's Product Support
Division. He was named Solar's vice president for oil and
gas in 2007.
Umpleby graduated from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering in 1980.
He completed an executive leadership program at the
International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in
Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1996. Umpleby serves on the board
of directors for the San Diego Chamber of Commerce, the San
Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation and
CONNECT. He is also an executive committee member of the
board of directors of the Interstate Natural Gas
Association of America (INGAA) Foundation. A replacement
for Umpleby will be named in the near future. Umpleby will
assume his new role effective January 1, 2013.
About Caterpillar:
For more than 85 years, Caterpillar Inc. has been making
sustainable progress possible and driving positive change
on every continent. With 2011 sales and revenues of $60.138
billion, Caterpillar is the world's leading manufacturer of
construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas
engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric
locomotives. The company also is a leading services
provider through Caterpillar Financial Services,
Caterpillar Remanufacturing Services and Progress Rail
Services.http://www.caterpillar.com
.
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