Ulrich Spiesshofer News

ABB Chief Executive Ulrich Spiesshofer has quit the Swiss industrial group as the board and major shareholders look for a speedier turnaround at the maker of industrial robots and supplier of factory automation.Spiesshofer’s abrupt exit follows the launch of the biggest overhaul in ABB’s 31-year history to reposition the company more toward digital industries and agreeing to activist shareholder demands to sell its power grids business.But the latest revamp by the former management consultant failed to revitalize ABB’s stock…

ABB has launched Stage 3 of its so-called “Next Level” strategy which aims to drive company-wide growth via four entrepreneurial divisions, while realizing the group’s full digital potential and improving operational efficiencies. “Over the last two years, ABB has become faster, leaner and more efficient. We have continuously improved margins and further strengthened our cash generation,” said ABB CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer. Effective January 1, 2017, ABB will shape its divisional structure into four divisions: Electrification Products…

ABB and Microsoft Corp. announced a strategic partnership to help industrial customers create new value with digital solutions. The offering is a unique combination of the Microsoft Azure intelligent cloud and ABB’s domain knowledge and extensive portfolio of industrial solutions. The two partners are looking to empower digital transformation in customer segments such as robotics, marine and ports, electric vehicles and renewable energy. By selecting Microsoft Azure as the cloud for its integrated connectivity platform, ABB’s customers will now have access to an enterprise-grade cloud infrastructure that benefits from billions of dollars of ongoing investment.

ABB has appointed Guido Jouret as Chief Digital Officer, reporting to ABB’s CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer, effective October 1, 2016. Jouret, a pioneer of the Internet of Things, will lead the next level of development and deployment of ABB’s digital solutions for customers globally and across all businesses. Jouret is a citizen of both the United States and Belgium, with long experience in Silicon Valley. He served for 20 years at Cisco after obtaining a PhD in Computer Science. His most recent role at Cisco was as General Manager of the Internet of Things division, which aims to connect billions of devices to the internet across a wide range of industries.

ABB has appointed Pascale Abruzzese as head of Group Quality and Operational Excellence. Abruzzese, a British national, is currently Chief of Operations for Philips International. He succeeds Bill Black who is retiring after seven years in the role. Abruzzese, born in 1966, is an acknowledged global expert in operations and quality management with more than 20 years’ experience in the areas of business transformation, operations and quality management. He was instrumental in the implementation of the Honeywell Operating System, a world-class standardized approach, which has been recognized as a key factor in that organization’s performance turnaround. Abruzzese is on the Board of Directors of the European Foundation for Quality Management. "We welcome Pasquale in his new role.

ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, has appointed Bazmi Husain as Chief Technology Officer (CTO), effective January 1, 2016. Husain, an expert in power and automation who has been with ABB for more than 30 years, will report to CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer. Husain is currently Managing Director of ABB India Ltd. In his new role, he will be based in Bangalore, India, with an office in Switzerland. His successor will be announced in due course. As Chief Technology Officer, Husain will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of ABB’s global R&D, which serves the entire company, its scientists and engineers, and for the R&D activities within ABB’s divisions.

ABB announced today it will start production of robots in the United States, making it the first global industrial robotics company to fully commit to and invest in a North American robotics manufacturing footprint. The company made the announcement at the opening of a new robotics plant at an existing facility in Auburn Hills, Michigan, where it already has about 500 highly skilled employees. Production is to commence immediately. The new plant is ABB’s third robotics production facility, alongside Shanghai, China, and Västerås, Sweden, and will manufacture ABB robots and related equipment for the North American market. The United States is ABB’s largest market with US$7.5 billion in sales.

ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, has created an international research award to honor Hubertus von Gruenberg, who is stepping down after eight years as Chairman of the Board of Directors. The award is intended to encourage world-class research in ABB’s main fields of operation: power and automation, as applied in utilities, industries, and transport and infrastructure. The “ABB Research Award in Honor of Hubertus von Gruenberg” recognizes outstanding PhD research that makes creative use of software, electronics and/or new materials, to pave the way towards groundbreaking industrial solutions. It includes a $300,000 grant for post-doctoral research and is open to PhD graduates from any university specializing in research in power or automation.

ABB and Samsung SDI have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote microgrid solutions globally. The two companies will establish a global commercial alliance to develop and market modular and scalable microgrid solutions, utilizing lithium-ion batteries for energy storage. The combination of ABB’s global market presence, its leadership in grid technology and its global service footprint with Samsung SDI’s leading lithium-ion battery technology will enable accelerated growth of the market. It will make microgrid solutions a viable alternative to promote and broaden access to electricity in emerging markets and remote areas while providing power reliability, resiliency and security to developed markets. “ABB is very pleased to sign this Memorandum of Understanding with Samsung SDI.

ABB, the leading power and automation technology company, is proud to accompany Solar Impulse and its crew on the plane’s flight around the world powered only by energy from the sun. Solar Impulse, based in Switzerland, announced today it will begin its historic flight between late February and early March in Abu Dhabi. In 2014, ABB and Solar Impulse formed an innovation and technology alliance to advance a shared vision of reducing resource consumption and increasing the use of renewable energy. “Solar Impulse will inspire a new generation to embrace innovation and technology to solve the planet’s biggest challenges,” said ABB Chief Executive Officer Ulrich Spiesshofer. Three ABB engineers have joined the Solar Impulse team where they are contributing expertise and passion.

ABB has been recognized by Thomson Reuters as one of the world’s top 100 innovators for a third year. This award acknowledges companies around the world for their outstanding commitment to global innovation, the protection of ideas and the commercialization of inventions. “This recognition is a strong endorsement. Innovation is ingrained in the DNA of ABB and a pillar of our Next Level strategy,” said ABB Chief Executive Officer Ulrich Spiesshofer. ABB announced its Next Level strategy in September 2014. The company said it will drive profitable growth through focused initiatives on market penetration, innovation and expansion (PIE). In 2014, ABB announced technology breakthroughs including the development of YuMi, the world’s first robot for full collaboration with humans.

ABB announced at the UN Climate Summit in New York today that it is joining the UN’s Sustainable Energy for All initiative (SE4ALL). The company will provide expertise on energy efficient motors and transformers to help governments devise policies that accelerate energy savings. “ABB is excited to be part of the United Nations initiative and to contribute to decoupling economic growth from energy consumption and emissions,” said Ulrich Spiesshofer, CEO of ABB. “ Many cost- and energy-efficient technologies are already available. Electric motors account for about 28 percent of global electricity consumption. Many motors are bigger than they need to be and most are running at full speed, even when they don’t have to.

ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, has signed a global agreement with Salesforce.com for sales and cloud-based services, offering more flexibility and real-time exchange of information in order to drive sales performance. The agreement will enable a new level of collaboration across ABB’s global sales and service teams as well as in interaction with customers and partners, through an open, shared ABB platform. The two companies will work together to improve and enhance the platform and to adapt the Salesforce solutions to the requirements of the Power and Automation industry. By cooperating with Salesforce, ABB will further improve customer and market intimacy, accelerate profitable growth and further step up service and response times for customers.

ABB is celebrating today its 125th anniversary in Finland. Founded in 1889 in Helsinki by entrepreneur and inventor Gottfrid Strömberg, ABB Finland is today an innovative automation and power technology company with more than 5,000 employees in 30 locations, with sales of 2.3 billion euros in 2013. “ABB Finland has been driving innovation in power and automation technologies for 125 years. Today, ABB Finland is one of our most dynamic and successful country organisations and we continue to invest substantially in innovation and production facilities” said ABB Chief Executive Officer Ulrich Spiesshofer. “I would like to thank our colleagues in ABB Finland for their long standing excellent results and confirm our strong commitment to grow together in the future,” Spiesshofer added.

Divestment fully in line with ABB’s commitment to continuous portfolio optimization. ABB has divested five businesses with limited synergies in the past 11 months raising about $1 billion. Zurich, Switzerland, August 20, 2014– ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, announced it has signed an agreement to divest the ABB Full Service business for an undisclosed amount. The sale is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2014, subject to regulatory approval. The ABB Full Service business provides fully outsourced industrial maintenance services. ABB Full Service was developed as an adjacent business to ABB’s life-cycle service business and has become a successful stand-alone business unit.

Brice Koch, head of the Power Systems division at ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, has decided to leave ABB to become chief executive officer at Oerlikon, based in Pfaeffikon, Switzerland. Koch joined ABB in 1994 and held a number of roles in Switzerland before taking over as global head of the Transformers business unit in 2002. In 2007, he became head of ABB in China and North Asia, and joined the Executive Committee in 2010 as head of Marketing and Customer Solutions. He has been responsible for the Power Systems division since March 2012.

ABB reported higher revenues, earnings and cash flows in the third quarter of 2013, on improved performance across all divisions. Orders in early-cycle businesses, driven mainly by customer investments in improved productivity and efficiency, grew compared to the same quarter in 2012, while further delays in large project awards – mainly the result of ongoing economic uncertainties - and the strategic repositioning of the Power Systems division resulted in lower large orders.

ABB, the power and automation technology group, is realigning responsibilities in its Group Executive Committee (EC) to put a strong focus on acquisition integration and the significantly expanded North American business portfolio with the new appointment. Under these changes, Greg Scheu, who is currently responsible for Marketing and Customer Solutions (MC) on the EC, will lead the Group’s acquisition integration efforts and take over responsibility for North America including the United States, ABB’s largest geographical market.

Pekka Tiitinen, the global head of ABB’s Drives and Controls business, has been appointed to ABB’s Executive Committee as head of the Discrete Automation and Motion (DM) division as of Sept. 15, 2013. He succeeds Ulrich Spiesshofer, who is taking over as ABB CEO. Tiitinen (46), a Finnish citizen, has been responsible for ABB’s Drives and Controls business since it was formed in January 2013. Before that he was head of the global Low Voltage Drives business for 10 years, with a very successful track record particularly in China, the US and Europe.

Jean-Christophe Deslarzes has been appointed by ABB  to its Executive Committee as Head of Human Resources as of Nov. 15, 2013. He succeeds Gary Steel, 60, who will retire at a date that is still to be determined. Deslarzes, a 49-year-old Swiss national, has served for the past three years as Chief Human Resources and Organization Officer and member of the Executive Board at the global retail group Carrefour. From 1994 to 2010, he worked at Rio Tinto Alcan and its predecessors Alcan Inc. and Alusuisse, in a variety of human resources and management roles in Europe and Canada.

Ulrich Spiesshofer has succeeded Joe Hogan as chief executive officer of ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, following the three-month orderly transition period announced earlier this year. Hogan will continue as advisor to the Board until the end of March 2014. In a welcoming statement, Hubertus von Grünberg, Chairman of ABB’s Board of Directors, said: "Ulrich Spiesshofer has an outstanding track record forming and developing high performing teams and has…

Thomson Reuters recognizes ABB as a Top 100 Global Innovator, honoring ABB’s commitment to drive innovations, commercialization and intellectual property protection. This award recognizes companies around the world for their outstanding commitment to global innovation, the protection of ideas and the commercialization of inventions. “This award is a strong endorsement of our focus to develop innovative solutions for automation, energy efficiency and the power grid,” said ABB CEO, Ulrich Spiesshofer. Over the last year, ABB has announced several innovation milestones including a combined low-voltage circuit breaker and energy manager…

Power and automation technology group ABB has won a significant order from the Dutch-German transmission system operator TenneT to supply an AC (alternating current) power transmission link connecting Sandbank, an offshore wind farm in the German North Sea, to the HVDC (high-voltage direct current) converter station SylWin alpha. The link will have the capacity to transmit 288 megawatt (MW) of clean wind power – enough to supply energy to around 300,000 German households. Once the connection is commissioned the offshore wind farm will be able to save 1…