Mr Giuseppe Marino has begun work as new group CEO of Hitachi Rail, succeeding Mr Andrew Barr who has become president of Hitachi Europe in charge of regional strategies (EMEA). Marino has rejoined the company after four years as CEO and general manager of Ansaldo Energia Group but previously served as Hitachi Rail’s COO of rolling stock. In his new role Marino will lead delivery of new projects in North America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Africa. One of his objectives for the coming year will to complete Hitachi Rail’s acquisition of Thales’ Ground Transportation Services (GTS) business once regulatory clearance has been received. The acquisition will enhance Hitachi’s signalling, passenger information, ticketing systems and digital solutions capabilities.
Mr Jan Christoph Harder has taken over as Škoda Group’s president region west. He has 25 years' experience in the rail industry and has held senior positions at companies including Siemens and Alstom. As Škoda Group president region est, he will manage and develop all of the group’s urban and mainline operation business activities in the region. He succeeds Mr Mike Niebling, who decided to leave Škoda Group to take on new responsibilities.
Mr Rinalds Pļavnieks has been appointed chair of the board of Latvian Railways (LDz). His previous roles include business development manager at Gefco United Kingdom, global customer manager with Gefco in France and head of the railway, air, sea and oversized cargo department at SIA Gefco Baltic. He became a LDz board member in 2021.
Rolling stock leasing company Alpha Trains has appointed Mr Fernando Pérez as interim CEO after Mr Shaun Mills stepped down after 12 years’ service. Pérez has been with the company since 2001 and was promoted to locomotive division managing director in 2012.
Infrastructure technology company Mermec Group has appointed engineer Mr Luca Necchi Ghiri as its new CEO. He has extensive experience of major infrastructure projects, having held positions at Astaldi (now Webuild) from 2007, then from 2018 becoming COO and general manager at Impresa Pizzarotti.
Pandrol has appointed Mr Nicolas Groult as its new CEO and member of the executive committee of owning company Delachaux Group. Groult’s most recent role was at Parker Meggitt Group as senior vice-president and general manager of power and sensing.
The supervisory board of the Berlin-Brandenburg Transport Authority (VBB) has appointed Ms Ute Bonde as its new managing director. Bonde is currently managing director of the Berlin Transport Services (BVG) project company, where her responsibilities have included managing the Berlin Metro Line 5 extension and heading the legal department.
Brazil’s minister of transport, Mr Renan Filho, has appointed Mr Leonardo Cezar Ribeiro as head of the new Secretariat for Rail Transport. Ribeiro is a legislative analyst in the Senate and was involved in the legislation passed in 2021 that set out a fresh legal framework for Brazil’s railways.
Dutch infrastructure manager ProRail has appointed Mrs Karen te Boome as its new director for stations. Te Boome joined ProRail in 2010 and will succeed Mrs Astrid Bunt, who resigned in September 2022. Te Boome will initially serve as one of two interim managers of asset management following the resignation of Mr Wouter van Dijk as the department’s director.
