MOBILE, ALABAMA [August 7, 2009] ThyssenKrupp Steel USA today announced that Bob Soulliere, its President and CEO since February 2007, is retiring effective September 30, 2009. Christoph Lackinger, currently the company’s Vice President of Technology, will assume Soulliere’s responsibilities effective October 1.
In May 2009, Düsseldorf, Germany based ThyssenKrupp AG announced plans to reorganize the company’s organizational structure. As part of the reorganization a new Steel Americas division will be created to oversee the Steel operations in North & South America. Steel Americas will be headquartered in the U.S. Soulliere’s retirement will aid this organizational change.
Soulliere, who will assist with the management transition, had retired as President and CEO of ThyssenKrupp’s former automotive supplier ThyssenKrupp Budd Company in Troy, Michigan prior to accepting leadership responsibility in 2007 for ThyssenKrupp Steel’s $4.2 billion carbon steel processing facility currently under construction near Mobile, Alabama. The company is expected to begin the first of its operations in spring of 2010.
“The Alabama project presented a unique opportunity to build a company, a culture, and a talented team that would not only contribute to ThyssenKrupp Steel’s strategic success, but to the success of Alabama and the communities in the Mobile area,” said Soulliere. “While I will miss everyone who’s joined our project and the many personal friendships my wife and I have made across the state, I’m returning to my home in Canada with absolute confidence in the company’s future and in the leadership of Christoph Lackinger and the other talented members of our management team.”
Soulliere’s successor, Christoph Lackinger, joined Thyssen Steel in 1989, working within the company’s steel and stainless steel segments. In 2003, he was appointed Head of the Technology Department for ThyssenKrupp Steel and later Head of Operations for the company’s galvanizing lines and quality department. He joined ThyssenKrupp Steel USA in 2007 as Vice President of Technology.
