Switzerland-based engine maker WinGD, a unit of China’s CSSC, has appointed Dominik Schneiter as the company’s acting chief executive officer after the current CEO Klaus Heim decided to step down from the position.
According to a statement by WinGD (Winterthur Gas & Diesel), Heim has informed the company’s board of directors that he decided to step down from his role, effective July 31, after five years at the helm.
In light of this transition, WinGD’s board has appointed Schneiter as the acting CEO, effective July 1.
Schneiter brings over three decades of industry experience to the role, having served as WinGD’s VP of research and development for the last 7 years, the firm said.
WinGD said the process of formally handing over the CEO role to Schneiter has commenced.
The company’s board and executive management team are working towards a “seamless transition to continue to accelerate their technology innovation roadmap in close collaboration with customers, partners, and colleagues,” the firm said.
WinGD’s engines are powering LNG carriers, as well as LNG-fueled vessels.
In October last year, the firm announced that its X72DF-2.1 engines will power 25 vessels as part of QatarEnergy’s giant LNG newbuilding project.
WinGD said in that announcement that its X72DF engine has become the standard for LNG carriers, with 224 in service and more than 130 engines on order.