Tillmann Olsen, who hails from Bosch Rexroth in Germany, has been appointed Hytec Group Deputy Chief Executive effective 1 August 2017. The position is temporary only, as Olsen is groomed to succeed CEO John Wingrove, who retires on 31 December 2017 after leading the group for a successful 16 years.

Olsen, who brings European and Far East country experience to the position, liaised with Wingrove for the 18 months preceding his appointment. His 18-year long career to date incorporates senior positions in the Bosch Group and Bosch Rexroth, where mergers and acquisitions and post-merger integration, as well as change management, proved to be his forte. He was responsible for integrating Mannesmann Rexroth and Bosch into the new Bosch Rexroth organisation and, having done so successfully, was deployed to China for three years to oversee additional organisational purchases and integration.

He cites “to understand as quickly as possible the way business is conducted in South Africa and to get to know as many of the group employees in all locations” as two of his short term goals. “Joining the Hytec Group is very exciting for me,” Olsen enthuses. The company has performed well in the three years of its joint venture with Bosch Rexroth. It is extremely well-adapted to the fast changing environment and has outstanding customer focus.”

“We are part of a successful worldwide group, but we are also in a position to act independently,” Olsen points out. “This provides us with the opportunity to enjoy the best of both worlds – the strength and power of a large corporation and agility and speed, two of Hytec Group’s key success factors. I look forward to developing the Hytec Group as part of Bosch Rexroth together with the management team that has proven success in the past. I’m convinced we will be successful in the future.”

“The past great achievements, have been a result of all Hytec Group employees working to deliver great solutions to our customers,” he concludes. “This will not change and, therefore, the focus on our employees is my first concern.”