WCA September 2022

People

Mitsui Seiki Kogyo appoints president and CEO Hiroyuki “Roy” Kawakami has been promoted to president of Mitsui Seiki Kogyo, Ltd, the parent company of Mitsui Seiki USA, Inc.

manufacturing,” said Mr Kawakami. “The technology is evolving quickly, and the industrial revolution surrounding automation and software is particularly interesting and challenging. “We will adhere to our fundamentals of building the most precise CNC machine tools available on the market today and tomorrow. At the same time, we are addressing the needs of our most advanced customers to promote and provide the automation and data connection architecture that is driving the industry.” Mitsui Seiki offers a comprehensive range of metal-cutting machines, extending from jig boring machines and grinders to horizontal and vertical machining centres and five-axis machining centres.

Mr Kawakami has served Mitsui Seiki for more than 40 years, having joined the parent company in 1981 after earning a Bachelor of Commerce degree. He advanced through the company in various sales and management positions at the US subsidiary, including vice president in 1994 and chairman in 2003. He moved back to the Japan headquarters in 2006 and has since held several senior executive roles at Mitsui Seiki Kogyo including, most recently, senior managing director. “It is my sincere honour to lead Mitsui Seiki during this exciting time in

Hiroyuki Kawakami

Mitsui Seiki USA combines engineering, sales support, service and spare parts responsibilities with a distributor network covering North America.

Mitsui Seiki USA, Inc www.mitsuiseiki.com

Senior manager is longest-serving employee This year marks the 55 th anniversary of Dietmar Harting starting work at the business founded by his parents, and he has no interest in retiring.

and since 1987 with his wife, Margrit. In those days, the company was one of the smaller players in the technology sector, with barely 1,000 employees. Ten years after joining the company, Mr Harting decided to expand internationally, which he describes as “to this day, my most important decision.” The first foreign subsidiary was founded in France in 1979. In 2015, Mr Harting handed over operational responsibility to his son Philip (CEO) and Maresa Harting-Hertz (finance, purchasing and facility management director). However, he did not sit back and take things easy, and maintained his regular place of work in his office at the company headquarters in Espelkamp, Germany.

“An entrepreneur remains an entrepreneur, until the very end,” he said. In celebrating his “golden anniversary plus”, the senior manager at the helm of the Harting Technology Group is now the longest serving employee of the family business. Mr Harting joined the company in 1967, after graduating from business school, to take responsibility for the business, initially with his mother; later with his brother (who died at an early age);

Dr Michael Pütz (right) and Margrit Harting congratulate Dietmar Harting on his long-service milestone

In addition to steering the course of his own business, Mr Harting has been involved in the work and development of international standards organisations, and technology and business associations, in roles such as president of the Deutsches Institut für Normung eV (DIN), at the Zentralverband Elektrotechnik- und Elektronikindustrie eV (ZVEI), as deputy chair of the supervisory board of Deutsche Messe AG, and as a member of the technology and research councils set up by Federal Chancellors Gerhard Schröder and Angela Merkel. He has received awards and honours for his outstanding commitment, among them the German Federal Cross of Merit 1 st Class, an honorary doctorate from the Leibniz University Hanover, and the Erich Gutenberg Prize. He has also been made an honorary citizen of the city of Espelkamp. Harting Stiftung & Co KG www.harting.com

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September 2022