President and CEO Rob Smith to leave Konecranes

Konecranes President and CEO Rob Smith has decided to leave the company. He will leave Konecranes on 31 December 2021. The company's CFO, Teo Ottola, who also serves as Deputy CEO, will be acting as the interim CEO from 1 January 2022 until the completion of the planned merger between Konecranes and Cargotec Corporation, which is currently expected by the end of H1/2022.

“Rob has been a true leader for Konecranes since joining in February 2020, steering the company through the unprecedented uncertainty of the pandemic and a planned merger to deliver the best for our customers and strong financial results. The board appreciates his commitment to ensuring a smooth transition. On behalf of the whole Board of Konecranes, I want to thank Rob for his contributions and hard work at the company and look forward to working with him until he leaves the company. I also wish him all the best in the future,” says Christoph Vitzthum, Chairman of the Board of Konecranes.

“It has been a privilege to lead Konecranes since February 2020, and I am proud of how we have come together as one global team to deliver excellent performance in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, we have focused on our strategy and strategic initiatives, and made excellent progress on these fronts as seen in our strong financial performance and our successful initial steps towards creating a global leader in sustainable material flow with Cargotec. While I have now made a personal decision to pursue opportunities outside of Konecranes, I am fully committed to Konecranes continuing its exciting track record of delivering outstanding performance for the success of our employees, customers and partners,” says Rob Smith, Konecranes President and CEO.