ABB CEO Spiesshofer Abruptly Steps Down

摘要

After five years in the job and 14 years with the company, ABB CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer abruptly stepped down this week. ABB Chairman Peter Voser, a former CEO of Royal Dutch Shell PLC, was named interim CEO of the Swiss industrial technology giant until a permanent successor is found. Spiesshofer's departure, which the company said was a mutual decision, comes as ABB embarks on a new strategy unveiled in December to focus on four areas - electrification, automation, robotics and motion. The company agreed at that time to sell its power-grids business to Japans Hitachi Ltd. in a deal that valued the business at $11 billion. "We will continue to focus on implementing ABB's strategy and delivering value to all our stakeholders," Voser said in an ABB release. "To achieve our key financial targets, we will proceed with the divestment of ABB's Power Grids business as planned, simplify the organizational structure of the group and deliver cost savings. Finally, our four new leading businesses will be fully dedicated to meet our customer needs for digitalization, electrification, automation and robotics."