U. S. Steel Announces Key Executive Changes in U.S., Europe
02/28/2008 - United States Steel announces a series of management changes affecting the entire corporation, including the return of David H. Lohr to company headquarters to fill the new position of Senior Vice President — North American Flat-Roll Operations.
United States Steel Corp. Chairman and CEO John P. Surma announced a series of management changes affecting the entire corporation, including the return of David H. Lohr to U. S. Steel's Pittsburgh headquarters to fill the new position of Senior Vice President–North American Flat-Roll Operations.
|
U.S. Steel’s Executive Announcements
David H. Lohr returns to headquarters as Senior Vice President–North American Flat-Roll Operations.
George F. Babcoke will relocate to Slovakia as Senior Vice President—European Operations and President—U. S. Steel Kosice.
Anthony R. Bridge will serve as Vice President—Operations, East.
Michael S. Williams will serve as Vice President—Operations, Midwest.
John C. Price will serve as Vice President—Supply Chain.
J. James Kutka Jr. will serve as Senior Vice President—Sales and Customer Service.
According to the announcement, all moves are effective March 1.
|
Lohr will be succeeded in his role as Senior Vice President—European Operations and President—U. S. Steel Kosice by George F. Babcoke, who will relocate to Slovakia. Both Lohr and Babcoke will report to Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer John H. Goodish.
In his new position, Lohr will direct executive oversight of the company's North American flat-rolled steelmaking operations, which have just been divided into regions. Anthony R. Bridge will serve as Vice President—Operations, East, and Michael S. Williams will serve as Vice President—Operations, Midwest; both will report to Lohr.
Lohr will also oversee Supply Chain Management, which will be led by John C. Price, who has been appointed Vice President—Supply Chain. Finally, Lohr will also oversee Flat- Rolled Sales, which will be lead by J. James Kutka Jr., who currently serves as Senior Vice President—Commercial. Kutka will fill the redefined role of Senior Vice President—Sales and Customer Service.
Lohr, 55, began his U. S. Steel career in 1974 at the National Plant, a former pipe producing facility in McKeesport, Pa., where he progressed through a series of supervisory positions. After managing the final construction and start-up of the seamless pipe mill at in Fairfield, Ala., and serving as its Manager—Operations, Lohr relocated to company headquarters in 1994 to fill the role of General Manager—Tubular Products.
Lohr was named General Manager of Mon Valley Works in 1996, and was elected Vice President—Operations, Sheet Products in 1999. In 2003, he advanced to the position of Vice President—Plant Operations, in which he oversaw all of the company's U.S. plant operations and joint ventures. He assumed his most recent post, Senior Vice President—European Operations and President—U. S. Steel Kosice, in June 2005. In this role, Lohr was responsible for operations at U. S. Steel's two European steelmaking facilities: U. S. Steel Kosice in the Slovak Republic and U. S. Steel Serbia in the Republic of Serbia.
Lohr graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 1975 with a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering. He completed the executive management program at The Pennsylvania State University in 1998.
With his new position as Vice President—Operations, East, Bridge, 54, returns to plant operations after five years overseeing much of U. S. Steel's engineering and technology. In his new position, Bridge will be responsible for directing operations at Great Lakes Works in Ecorse and River Rouge, Mich.; Mon Valley Works, which includes the Clairton Plant, the Edgar Thomson Plant and the Irvin Plant near Pittsburgh as well as the Fairless Plant outside Philadelphia; and U. S. Steel Canada, which includes Hamilton Works in Hamilton, Ont., and Lake Erie Works in Nanticoke, Ont. He will remain in Pittsburgh.
Bridge spent 19 years at Inland Steel in East Chicago, Ind., and three years at Rouge Steel in Dearborn, Mich., before joining U. S. Steel in 1998. He served as Area Manager of the former No. 13 blast furnace at Gary Works in Gary, Ind., later advancing to the position of Division Manager of iron producing at Gary Works (1999) and to Plant Manager of Primary Operations (2001).
In 2003, Bridge transferred to Pittsburgh headquarters when he was named Managing Director—Blast Furnace Engineering & Technology. He was elected to his current position, Vice President—Engineering & Technology in 2005, with responsibility for research and development activities at three facilities as well as engineering and blast furnace engineering and technology for the entire company.
Bridge earned a bachelor's degree in industrial management from Purdue University's Krannert Business School in Lafayette, Ind., in 1976; a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University at its Calumet Campus in Hammond, Ind., in 1991; and a master's degree in business from Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Ind., in 2004.
As Vice President—Operations, Midwest, Williams will oversee operations at Gary Works, which includes the East Chicago Tin Plant (East Chicago, Ind.); the Midwest Plant (Portage, Ind.); Granite City Works (Granite City, Ill.); and Fairfield Works' flat-rolled operation. He will also be responsible for Minnesota Ore Operations, the company's iron ore mining and pelletizing facilities in Mt. Iron, Minn., (Minntac) and Keewatin, Minn., (Keetac).
Williams, 47, held a number of managerial positions at several companies including Koppers and Armco Steel prior to joining U. S. Steel in 1992 as a Senior Process Control Engineer at Mon Valley Works. In 1994, he advanced to the position of Division Manager—Systems and Process Control at Gary Works before assuming oversight responsibilities for some of the facility's steel producing operations in 1996. Over the next three years, he served as Division Manager for Steel Producing—South, Steel Producing—North and Hot Rolling.
In 1999, Williams left the company for a position with Ormet Corp., an aluminum producer, where he progressed through executive posts in both operations and sales before he was named President and Chief Operations Officer in 2002, and President and CEO in 2004. In 2006, Williams joined Cleveland-based Special Metals Corp. as Vice President—Commercial Products. He returned to U. S. Steel in September 2006 as General Manager of Gary Works, with responsibility for steelmaking and finishing operations in Gary, tin production at the East Chicago Tin Plant, and finishing operations at the Midwest Plant.
Williams earned a bachelor's degree in information science in 1983 from the University of Pittsburgh. In 1998, he graduated from Indiana University at Bloomington's Executive Management Program.
In his new position as Vice President—Supply Chain, Price, 60, will be responsible for the company's business planning, logistics services and processed products organizations, based at the company's headquarters. Price started his career with the company in 1969 as an Operations Trainee at Fairless Works. From 1969 to 1991, he advanced through increasingly responsible positions in tin mill operations, metallurgical engineering and quality assurance at Fairless Works, corporate headquarters, Mon Valley Works' Irvin Plant, and Gary Works.
Price was named Division Manager of Sheet Products at Mon Valley Works in 1991, then transferred to headquarters two years later as District Manager—Customer Technical Services, East. He returned to Gary Works in 1994 to serve as Manager of Quality Assurance and Manager of Business Services, respectively, before advancing to become Plant Manager of Finishing Operations in 1996. He returned to Pittsburgh headquarters as General Manager—Tin Products in 1997.
Following U. S. Steel’s acquisition of National Steel in May 2003, Price was named General Manager of the Midwest Plant and led the successful integration of that facility. In August 2005, he was named to his current position, General Manager—Business Planning.
Price graduated from Lafayette College in Easton, Pa., in 1969 with a bachelor's degree in metallurgical engineering.
