US: Caterpillar has announced a number of personnel changes to its Material Handling & Underground (MH&U) and Surface Mining & Technology (SM&T) divisions. Karl Weiss, vice president of the Earthmoving Division, will become vice president of MH&U following the retirement of Doug Hoerr. Jean Savage, Chief Technology Officer and vice president of the Innovation & Technology Development Division, will become vice president of SM&T following the transfer of Tom Bluth to a new internal position. All of these changes will take effect on 1 August 2017.

Weiss joined Caterpillar in 1992 and has had various assignments within product development at Caterpillar’s Decatur, Joliet and Aurora, Illinois, facilities, primarily focused on large machine structural design. Later he worked in Beijing, China as the wheel loader product manager for the Asia Pacific Region. He then was named the worldwide product manager for medium wheel loaders in Aurora before being named Earthmoving vice president in 2013. Weiss graduated from Purdue University with a degree in agricultural engineering and an MBA from Northern Illinois University.

Savage was formerly senior vice president and Chief Operating Officer of the Locomotive and Railcar Services business unit for Caterpillar subsidiary Progress Rail Services (PRS). Savage joined PRS in 2002 as vice president for Quality and Continuous Improvement. She also served as vice president of PRS’ Freight Car Repair, Parts and Quality Divisions before her most recent position. Prior to joining PRS, she worked in a variety of manufacturing and engineering positions in her 14 years at Parker Hannifin Corporation. That was preceded by nine years in the Army Reserves as a military intelligence officer. Savage has an electrical and computer engineering degree from the University of Cincinnati and a master’s degree in engineering management from the University of Dayton.