Hypertherm appoints new leadership team

These changes are aimed at fully supporting the company’s strategic vision and its growing global customer base as it heads into 2018.

Pete Vickers, current Vice President, International, has announced his planned retirement in February 2018, after twenty years of service to Hypertherm — during which he significantly advanced the company’s global presence and position — and forty-five years serving the welding and cutting industry.

With this retirement, and to more tightly integrate Hypertherm’s expanded global sales and marketing strategy, Hidde van Hoeven, currently Global Sales and Marketing Director of the company’s waterjet business, will assume the newly created position of Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing, effective with the new year. In this new role, Mr. van Hoeven will oversee sales and marketing in more than 60 countries, with particular emphasis on strategic end market development initiatives. Mr. van Hoeven has served in a number of leadership roles since joining Hypertherm in 2005 including management roles for the company’s Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) business, and leadership of the company’s mechanized plasma systems team.

Theo Cornielje, a proven strategic growth leader for Hypertherm as the current Regional Director for Hypertherm’s EMEA business, will assume Mr. van Hoeven’s current role as Global Sales and Marketing Director for Waterjet, with Marco Mostert, current Director of OEM Sales for EMEA, assuming the role of Regional Director, EMEA.

In addition, Hypertherm’s current Vice President of North American Sales, Jeff Deckrow, will gain expanded responsibilities in his new role as Vice President, Americas. In this position, Mr. Deckrow, a Hypertherm Management Team member, will add oversight of Hypertherm’s South American business to his current role overseeing North America. Mr. Deckrow has served in various leadership positions since joining Hypertherm more than two decades ago, helping the company strengthen its strong leadership position within the industry.

“Hypertherm is fortunate to have a large and well-rounded group of leaders able to step into these critically important roles,” said President and CEO Evan Smith. “I have great confidence this leadership team will prove adept at carrying our business forward as we continue to deliver on our mission of providing the best industrial cutting solutions to customers around the world.”