IN FOCUS

Parker Hannifin announced that its Board of Directors has elected company veterans Thomas L. Williams as Chief Executive Officer and Lee C. Banks as President and Chief Operating Officer, each effective February 1, 2015.

With May 1, 2014, Mr. Michael Auer took charge for international sales at Zuwa. In his position he is responsible for all strategic and operative sales activities of the German pump manufacturer with focus on professional Impeller pumps and spraying devices.

Isabelle Welton and Rudolf Huber, members of the Board of Directors of Georg Fischer, will not stand for re-election at the next Annual Shareholders Meeting on 18 March 2015. The Board of Directors is to propose Eveline Saupper for election as a new member. A statutory reduction of the Board size from ten to nine members will be submitted to the shareholders.

Effective immediately, Richard Thompson has been appointed Vice President, Ebara Fluid Handling Division (FHD) and will assume full management and overall operations of the division.

In the last Supervisory Board meeting, the contract of CEO Oliver Hermes was extended early to last until 31 December 2020.

Gerd von Brandenstein, Peter Gruss and Berthold Huber have announced that they will resign from the Supervisory Board of Siemens AG, effective the end of the Annual Shareholders Meeting on January 27, 2015. As of the spring of 2015, Gruss will head the new Siemens Technology & Innovation Council (STIC) that is being established by Siemens Managing Board.

ABB Chairman Hubertus von Grünberg and Michael Treschow have decided not to stand for re-election to the Board of Directors at the next Annual General Meeting (AGM). The Board of Directors of ABB unanimously nominated Peter Voser to succeed Hubertus von Grünberg as Chairman.

Bitzer announces Helmut Meyer as the new Chief Sales and Marketing Officer.

Xylem announced the appointment of Kelly McAndrew as Vice President of Global Public Affairs, effective immediately. She will report to Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer Angela Buonocore and will oversee global external communications efforts in support of the company s corporate strategy, financial performance and key corporate issues. She is based at the company’s global headquarters in Rye Brook, New York.

The board of directors of Franklin Electric has elected Jennifer Sherman to be a director of the company effective January 1, 2015.