VMI Group, a market leader in production technology, appoints a new chief commercial officer and general manager of VMI Yantai.
As of 1 October 2018, the Global Executive Board of VMI Group has been extended to four with the appointment of Mike Norman as chief commercial officer (CCO). In his role as CCO, Norman will be responsible for all commercial activities of VMI worldwide.
The increase of market share and widening of product portfolio has led to a vast growth of VMI Group over recent years. To ensure a strong and dedicated focus on serving our customer’s needs, VMI has expanded the Global Management Board with a CCO. The responsibility for the global sales force of VMI, currently spread over entities in nine countries, will be transferred from Harm Voortman, CEO, to the newly appointed CCO.
Norman is well known in the tire industry as he has been active for VMI’s customers for almost 20 years. He spent the last decade as sales director for Asia, where VMI has seen a remarkable growth not only in the Chinese market, but also in Korea, Japan and other Asian countries.
“We are excited to have Mike Norman in the Board and we are confident that this will allow us to continue to assure our customers’ continued success,” says Harm Voortman, CEO of VMI Group.
Last month, VMI also appointed Chen Xing Chunjing as general manager of VMI Yantai. Chunjing is the successor of Xu Kangyuan, who retired after leading VMI Yantai for almost 20 years.
The Asian marketplace, and especially the Chinese market, has been a key part of VMI’s growth strategy over the past 20 years and more. Today, VMI Yantai has more than 330 employees and operates as an integrated part of the global VMI organisation. The appointment of Chunjing as general manager of VMI in China confirms that both China and the wider Asian market will remain extremely important to VMI.
Chunjing has over 30 years of experience in managing large production facilities, mainly in the automotive industry. In his new position, Chunjing will be responsible for continuing Yantai’s strategic development, accelerate production and bring new levels of agility using lean techniques and advanced analytics to drive operational efficiency.
“Together with the manufacturing facilities in Poland and The Netherlands, VMI Yantai plays a crucial role in the growth and success of the company. China is a very important market for VMI. By strengthening our top management in China, we ensure the support of our customers in their ambitious plans,” adds Voortman.
