Caterpillar Inc.'s board of directors has elected Denise Johnson, currently vice president with responsibility for the Material Handling & Underground Division, as group president of Resources Industries, effective April 1. Her appointment follows the recently announced retirement of Group President Ed Rapp.
“Denise leads one of the largest and most complex businesses in the company; her division makes products primarily for the mining, waste and construction industries and employs about 8,000 people in 14 locations spanning four continents. She has successfully managed costs during the mining downturn and been deeply involved in restructuring within Resource Industries, all while gaining market position for multiple products in her portfolio. Denise has accomplished these business results while also delivering outstanding safety and quality metrics,” said Caterpillar Chairman and CEO Doug Oberhelman. “Above all, Denise is a leader inside and outside of Caterpillar. Whether she’s engaging with employees, strengthening relationships with key mining customers or serving as a strong role model to recruit more female engineers, Denise consistently excels.”
Johnson joined Caterpillar in 2011 as general manager of Caterpillar’s Specialty Products business unit, where she had responsibility for nearly 20 facilities around the world. She came to Caterpillar after a 22-year career with General Motors, where she built deep expertise in operations and product management in a series of positions in the United States, Canada, and Brazil.
A year later, she was elected vice president of the Diversified Products Division with responsibility for industries including forestry, paving and on-highway trucks. In 2013, she became vice president of the Integrated Manufacturing Operations Division overseeing major operations in Caterpillar’s largest division at the time. She was named to her current role in 2014.
Johnson holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Michigan State University, as well as dual master's degrees in mechanical engineering and business administration from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Cat will name Johnson’s successor in the Material Handling & Underground Division later.
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