Rintoul will take on his new duties 1 March. He currently is president of U. S. Steel’s tubular products business. 

"We are extremely pleased to welcome David to the company. His extensive steel industry experience and proven leadership will be tremendous enhancements to the GrafTech global team," said GrafTech board member Denis Turcotte. 

Rintoul succeeds Jeffrey C. Dutton as chief executive, a position he held since January 2017. Dutton, who served as chief operating officer from September 2015 to December 2016, will continue to serve on GrafTech’s board of directors, the company said. 

Rintoul has 38 years of steel industry experience, the last 10 of which were spent at U. S. Steel. Prior to taking on responsibility for the tubular business in 2014, Rintoul served as vice president for European operations and president of U. S. Steel Košice, overseeing operations in Slovakia Republic and Serbia.  

Rintoul joined U. S. Steel in 2007 as general manager of its Granite City Works in Illinois and served in a similar capacity at its Great Lakes Works in Michigan. He also served as president of U. S. Steel Canada. 

Rintoul holds an associate’s degree in mechanical engineering technology from Sault College of Applied Arts and Technology, a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Lake Superior State University and a MBA from the University of Notre Dame. 

U. S. Steel said it plans to name a successor sometime soon.