Colas-minted executive to lead Caterpillar Construction & Infrastructure

Sources: Caterpillar Inc., Peoria, Ill.; CP staff

Caterpillar has appointed two new division vice presidents—Damien Giraud, Global Construction & Infrastructure and Chris Snodgrass, Product Support & Logistics—in conjunction with major organizational changes.

A native of France, Giraud will transition August 1 from his present role as Large Excavators product manager, and succeed 37-year Caterpillar veteran Paolo Fellin. Giraud joined Caterpillar in 1998 after seven years with Colas Group, the French parent of New Jersey-based asphalt, aggregates and ready mixed producer Colas USA. 

Snodgrass will shift July 1 from Caterpillar Industrial Power Systems Division general manager to lead a new division a) comprising groups or functions under other company units; and, b) tasked with design and manufacturing of wear and maintenance component products, prime product and parts distribution support, inbound and outbound logistics, warehousing functions, plus packaging and container management.

Concurrent with the Product Support & Logistics formation, Caterpillar has announced a second new division, Digital Enabled Solutions, spanning data analytics group, enterprise data hub, equipment management tools, Cat Connect technologies, and customer experience portals. “We recognize the need to bring these groups into an organization that will bring enhanced focus and strategic alignment to the existing and yet-to-be developed digital enablers for our products and customers,” affirms Caterpillar CEO Jim Umpleby, noting that a search for a Digital Enabled Solutions vice president has commenced.  

Rounding out organizational changes, Caterpillar announced the August 1 retirements of Industry Solutions, Components & Distribution Division Vice President Greg Folley and Marketing & Digital Division Vice President George Taylor, plus a marketing and brand organization shift to the Global Aftermarket Solutions Division.