Abu Dhabi, UAE: Rockwell Automation has announced that its board of directors has elected the company’s current Senior Vice President of Control Products & Solutions segment, Blake D Moret, as president and chief executive officer, effective July 1, 2016. At the same time, the announcement said, Keith D Nosbusch, 65, who has been president and chief executive officer since 2004, will transition from the roles he currently plays while continuing as chairman of the board.

The announcement said that Moret, who began his career in 1985 as a sales trainee, has 30 years of experience in sales and business management roles in product, services and solutions businesses across Rockwell Automation. He has served in senior positions across the organisation, including international assignments in Europe and Canada, before being named senior vice president of Control Products & Solutions segment, in 2011, the announcement added.

Moret, the company informed, is a graduate of Georgia Institute of Technology, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. He has served as Chair of the Board of the Manufacturing Institute of the National Association of Manufacturers, the company added, and is a member of the Board of Directors for the Milwaukee-based Urban Ecology Center, the Board of Directors of the United Way of Greater Milwaukee and the Advisory Board of the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech.

Acknowledging that he is honoured to lead the company and its employees, Moret said: “We have a deep management team, unmatched technology solutions, domain expertise across a broad range of industries, and enduring customer relationships around the world. We are committed to continue to deliver customer and shareowner value in the years ahead.”

Outgoing Chairman, Nosbusch, said: “It has been an honour and privilege to lead Rockwell Automation over the past 12 years. While as a team we enjoyed tremendous success, I have no doubt that we are well positioned for an even greater future. Blake is the ideal executive to move Rockwell Automation forward in its next chapter. He brings a strong customer focus, as well as a deep understanding of the Company’s values, culture, people, and technology, and how each of these power the Company’s success.”

Thanking Nosbusch for his “outstanding” leadership and welcoming Moret him to his new role, Donald R Parfet, Lead Director, said: “The past 12 years have been transformational for Rockwell Automation. We’ve become a global technology leader and the world’s largest company dedicated to industrial automation and information. Equally important, we are well positioned to accelerate our evolution with industry-leading innovation that improves our customers’ global competitiveness.”