Bob DeLange

Following the announcement that Group President Rob Charter has elected to retire, Caterpillar Inc. has announced changes in responsibilities for two group presidents and the appointment of a new group president. All changes are effective June 1, 2018.

Bob De Lange to Become Group President of Customer & Dealer Support

Caterpillar Group President Bob De Lange, current Construction Industries group president, will oversee Customer & Dealer Support, replacing Charter.

“During his 25-year career with Caterpillar, Bob has delivered excellent results in leadership positions across Europe, the United States and Asia,” said Caterpillar CEO Jim Umpleby. “Throughout his career, Bob has built strong relationships with our dealers while holding a range of product and marketing positions. His diverse experience working with our dealer network makes him ideally suited to lead the Customer & Dealer Support group for Caterpillar.”

Tom Pellette to Become Group President of Construction Industries 

Caterpillar Group President Tom Pellette, current Energy & Transportation group president, will now lead Construction Industries, replacing De Lange.

“Tom delivered strong results during a challenging time for the industry when previously leading our Construction Industries organization, and with Bob De Lange's move, Tom is best positioned to resume the leadership role for Construction Industries,” Umpleby said.

Ramin Younessi Appointed Group President of Energy & Transportation

Caterpillar's board of directors has appointed Ramin Younessi a Caterpillar group president. Younessi will lead Caterpillar's Energy & Transportation group, replacing Pellette. Younessi is currently vice president of Caterpillar's Industrial Power Systems Division (IPSD).

“Ramin's extensive leadership experience prior to joining Caterpillar, combined with his outstanding leadership of IPSD for the last five years, make him a valuable addition to the Executive Office,” Umpleby said.

Younessi joined Caterpillar in 2013, bringing more than 25 years of outside senior leadership experience. Previous executive responsibility included product development, quality, purchasing and product planning with Navistar, as well as product development and planning for Daimler AG's commercial vehicle division. Younessi has a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology and master's degrees from Syracuse University and the University of Maryland.

Younessi's replacement will be named soon.

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