TMK Ipsco Announces Senior Management Team
06/24/2008 - International producer TMK announces the appointment of TMK Ipsco’s new senior management team.
TMK has announced the appointment of the senior management team for TMK Ipsco. The announcement follows TMK's recent acquisition of the U.S. companies and assets of Ipsco's Tubular business from SSAB Svenkst Stal AB under a back-to-back transaction with Evraz SA.
To lead its senior management team, TMK Ipsco appointed Piotr Galitzine as Chairman. In his new position, Galitzine, who currently serves on the Board of Directors of TMK, will work from the company’s headquarters in Lisle, Ill. He brings to the position an extensive international career including senior positions with Mannesmann AG and BASF AG.
Vicki Avril has been named President and CEO of TMK Ipsco. In her new position, Avril will also be located at the company’s Lisle headquarters, where she will report to Galitzine. Ms. Avril brings substantial experience in the pipe and steel industry, and she is also a board member of Greif Industries. She most recently served as Senior Vice President and General Manager of Ipsco's Tubular businesses in both the USA and Canada, and previously held senior management positions with Ipsco Inc. and the former Inland Steel Industries, Inc.
Completing the management team (all of whom will be based in Lisle) and reporting to Avril are Scott Barnes, Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer; Alexander Belomestnov, Vice President and Chief Technical Officer; Nick Kachmar, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer; Bruce McKee, Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer; Ray Rarey, Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer; Sam Smolak, Vice President and Chief Information Officer; and Jim Tregenza, Vice President and Chief Operations Officer.
In announcing the management group, Avril commented, "I am excited about the depth of knowledge and experience this team brings to TMK Ipsco and am very enthusiastic about the future of this company backed by a wealth of pipe making experience from Russia."
In his newly announced position, Barnes will continue to be responsible for tubular sales and marketing in North America, a position he has held for Ipsco US Tubular products since 2001. He joined Ipsco in 1985 as an outside sales representative and has progressed through various sales, operations and administrative positions with increasing responsibilities.
In his new position, Belomestnov will be responsible for Quality Assurance, Environmental Compliance, New Product Development, and Research and Development. He has twenty years of technical and quality assurance experience working in the Russian pipe industry, the past four years at TMK's Moscow head office in project management and technical sales.
Kachmar has been Controller of Koppel Tubulars since 2006 and previously served in various financial management positions with Copperweld Corp., LTV Steel Tubular Products Corp., and Republic Steel.
In his new position, McKee will be responsible for logistics, procurement, scheduling, pricing/planning and operating standards. He has worked in both Canada and the U.S. for Ipsco with increasingly responsible positions in financial, IT, sales administration, production planning and corporate development.
In his new position Rarey will be responsible for all areas of HR including employee relations, compensation, benefits, safety, and training and development. He previously served as VP and Chief Human Resources Officer for Ipsco Inc. since 2000 and also has held senior-level HR and Industrial Relations positions with Berg Electronics, Collins & Aikman Corp., Gulf & Western Industries, ITT Corp. and Firestone Tire & Rubber Co.
Smolak will manage and direct the information technology that will provide TMK Ipsco with manufacturing systems analysis and support. He brings years of steel0industry IT management experience, including his most recent position with Koppel Tubulars, and prior experience with Babcock & Wilcox, GATX and Ellwood Quality Steel.
In his new position, Tregenza will be responsible for Seamless and Welded operations, Process Engineering, and Ultra Premium Connections. He most recently served as Director—Operations for Ipsco’s U.S. Welded Tubular plants; prior experience includes positions as Works Manager at Ipsco’s Regina, Sask., tubular operations and as Project Engineer for Ipsco North American Tubular Operations.
TMK's purchase of Ipsco Tubular's U.S. assets is an essential part of the company’s strategy to expand its global presence and increase its offering of high-tech, premium-class tubular goods for the oil and gas industry. The acquisition reinforces TMK's commitment to be an innovative company building and developing strong relationships with customers based on the concept of long-term partnerships, quality products and services, and constant innovation to meet the customers' challenging needs.
Founded in 2001, TMK is the largest pipe producer in Russia and one of three global market leaders. TMK supplies to companies in more than 60 countries; in 2007, the company shipped over 3 million tonnes of pipes. Production facilities, located in Russia, the United States, and Romania, include the Volzhsky Pipe Plant; Seversky Tube Works; Taganrog Metallurgical Works; Sinarsky Pipe Plant; SC TMK-Resita SA; SC TMK-Artrom SA; TMK Oilfield Services; TMK-Premium Service; and TMK Ipsco.
