Yoshiharu Ikeda Appointed new CEO of Primetals Technologies

• Yoshiharu Ikeda, currently CFO of Primetals Technologies, to take up the new role as CEO
• Andreas Weinhengst and Karl Purkarthofer appointed new CFO and COO, respectively
• Changes to become effective on April 1, 2025  

Primetals Technologies today announced Yoshiharu Ikeda has been appointed to the position of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Primetals Technologies. He succeeds Satoru Iijima, who will continue to serve as a Director of the Board and Fellow Advisor. Yoshiharu Ikeda brings decades of experience in the metals industry to his role, and he has a track record of successful leadership in commercial and strategical roles as well as in the machinery business sector.

An Experienced Leader

Yoshiharu Ikeda started his career at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in the mid-80s’, and has held several global positions including Manager, Global Sales for Mitsubishi-Hitachi Metals Machinery and CEO of Primetals Technologies USA. He is currently Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at Primetals Technologies. 

New CFO and COO

Effective April 1, 2025, Andreas Weinhengst, CFO of Primetals Technologies Austria since 2018, will succeed Yoshiharu Ikeda as CFO. He has worked within the metals industry since the early 90’s in different leadership positions in commercial sales, accounting, and controlling, both in Austria and abroad. His job experience includes roles as Commercial Head M&A of Kvaerner Metals Business at Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau and Head of Accounting and Controlling at Siemens VAI Metals Technologies, the predecessor company of Primetals Technologies. 

Also effective with Primetals Technologies’ new financial year is the appointment of Karl Purkarthofer in the newly established role of Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Primetals Technologies. In this role, he will head several global functions, namely supply chain, turnkey, manufacturing, project management, engineering, quality management, and environmental, health & safety. The responsibility for individual projects remains with the respective business areas. 

Karl Purkarthofer brings several decades of international experience from global leadership positions he held in Austria, the US, and UK, including Senior Vice President and Head of Strategy and M&A at Siemens VAI and Executive Vice President and Head of Global Business Unit Services at Primetals Technologies. In April of 2024, Karl Purkarthofer became CEO of Primetals Technologies Austria, a position he will continue to hold going forward.