Change at the top at Honeywell, Invensys

Brussels – Honeywell has appointed Norm Gilsdorf as president of Honeywell Process Solutions, replacing Jack Bolick who has retired after six years in charge. Gilsdorf was formerly vice president and general manager of the HPS business in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

“The Process Solutions business has grown significantly the last few years and is well-positioned as a strong global competitor in the important vertical markets it serves,” said Roger Fradin, president and CEP of Honeywell Automation and Control Solutions. “Norm’s background, capabilities, and proven track record as a senior leader make him a perfect fit to lead the business forward.”

Prior to his EMEA role, Gilsdorf was the senior VP and general manager of the process technology and equipment business at Honeywell International subsidiary UOP, which served the refining, petrochemical and gas processing industries. Before that, he led UOP’s catalysts, adsorbents and specialties business unit, and prior to that held various technical services, R&D, business development and marketing and sales roles.

Gilsdorf spent five years working for UOP in the UK, where he served as director of sales and services across Europe, Middle East, Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), India and Africa for the petrochemical industries. He also spent seven years in Moscow as director of sales and services for the CIS region, where he and his team helped launch UOP into Russia in the1990s.

He holds a BS degree in chemical engineering from Purdue University (Lafayette, Indiana, USA) and an MBA in international business and finance from Northwestern University, Chicago.

Meanwhile, there has been a leadership change at Invensys Process Systems (IPS) with Ulf Henriksson, chief executive of parent Invensys plc, taking on the additional role of acting chief executive of that business pending the appointment of a permanent successor, the group has announced. The terse statement made no reference to Paulett Eberhart, who had been CEO of the IPS division since joining from joined technology services company Electronic Data Systems Corp. (EDS) early 2007.

The announcement was in contrast to the time of her appointment, when Henriksson commented: "Our customers in industrial automation are increasingly seeking solutions and services that improve the efficiency and safety of their operations ...Paulett has been very successful in growing similar businesses within EDS and I know that she is looking forward to the challenge of leveraging the significant opportunities which have been created within Invensys Process Systems."