Bosch Rexroth names new president, CEO
Hoffman Estates, IL— Bosch Rexroth Corp. ’s Berend Bracht, former CEO of Bosch Rexroth China and former head of the company’s U.S. industrial hydraulics operation took over as president and chief executive officer on Jan. 1, 2007.
Bracht replaces Wolfgang Dangel, who led the U.S. subsidiary of the German-based company since April 2003. Dangel is leaving to accept a leadership position with the Schaeffler Group.
“We are pleased that we have an executive of Berend’s stature to take this important position and continue the forward momentum we have developed in the United States,” said Manfred Grundke, chairman of the executive board for parent company Bosch Rexroth AG. “Berend has an excellent combination of managerial skill and technical understanding that we look for in our senior executives. He’s had advanced technical leadership responsibilities on three continents during the past 15 years, and thus we know he has a truly global perspective.”
Bracht continues Bosch Rexroth’s close relationships with distributors, while developing new initiatives to enhance and promote the company’s technology leadership. Grundke adds that he regretted to see Dangel leave the company, but acknowledged that he had been offered a good opportunity for professional growth.
“We wish all the best for Wolfgang. He made great progress in building strong, mutually beneficial relationships with our distributors through online ordering, inventory management and information sharing that made it easier to do business with Bosch Rexroth,” notes Grundke. “Berend’s experience and educational background will allow him to build upon and extend those efforts with greater collaboration in applications engineering and advanced drive and control technology.”
Bracht says he is looking forward to working within the U.S. market again: “Bosch Rexroth has a strong management team and many wonderful employees. Wolfgang provided leadership and direction for the company. I’m eager to succeed with our employees and customers and continue the company’s vision and strategy for growth, service and partnership.”
Bracht began with the company in 1991 as a hydraulics sales engineer in Munich. In 1993 he went on to the industrial hydraulics organization in Bethlehem, PA initially working as an application engineer. Bracht became the production manager for Valves and Manifolds in 1997 and then vice president and general manager of the Standard Products operation in 1999. With the merger of Bosch and Rexroth in 2001, Bracht was appointed vice president and general manager for the overall U.S. Industrial Hydraulics group. He accepted the position as CEO for Bosch Rexroth China in 2004.
Bracht left his position in China effective Oct. 1, 2006, and has been in the U.S. working with Dangel on the leadership transition. Raised in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Bracht received master degrees in Mechanical Engineering (Master of Engineering), and Business Administration (MBA) from the Technical University in Munich. Bosch Rexroth AG, part of the Bosch Group, achieved sales of approximately $5.7 billion (4.6 billion Euro) in 2005 with over 28,200 employees.
—Mark T. Hoske, MHoske@cfemedia.com Daily News Desk, Control Engineering
https://www.boschrexroth-us.com
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