Ilkka Annala

Kalmar - Finland

After 40 years in the materials handling sector with Kalmar, “Mr Straddle Carrier”, Ilkka Annala, is retiring.

Starting with Kalmar’s predecessor Valmet Tampere Works in 1984, Annala has held a broad range of roles including as product manager for straddle carriers back in 1994 with Cargotec, before taking on the roles of VP of straddle carrier product line and project delivery.

His most recent role has been as VP of contract management with Kalmar.

In retirement, Annala says he will fix up his summer cottage, indulge in hobbies including golf, jogging, skiing and working on his classic car, a 1990 Ford Mustang GT. 

"The goal is to take it easy, but there will be a lot to keep me busy," he adds.

Shawn O'Connell

EnerSys - United States

Shawn O’Connell has been named the new chief operating officer and president of EnerSys effectively immediately, following the resignation of chief executive officer and president David Shaffer.

Shaffer and O’Connell will work together until Shaffer’s resignation becomes effective in May 2025, when O’Connell will assume the role of CEO.

O’Connell has been with EnerSys since 2011 and most recently has been president of EnerSys’ Energy Systems Global since November 2023. He will also retain this position moving forward.

“I am honoured to succeed Dave as EnerSys’ CEO and grateful to the Board for their trust and confidence,” O’Connell says. “I look forward to building on the strong foundation we’ve established, working with our team to continue our journey of innovation and growth as we pursue new opportunities that align with our long-term vision and delivering stakeholder value.”

Marty Petraitis

Cyngn - United States

Autonomous vehicle technology provider Cyngn has appointed Marty Petraitis to the role of vice president of sales, bringing his more than two decades of experience scaling revenue within technology-driven sectors.

Cyngn says Petraitis, in this role, will oversee Cyngn’s global sales strategy, market expansion, and the adoption of Cyngn’s Enterprise Autonomy Suite (EAS) by new organisations.

Cyngn chief executive officer Lior Tal says of the appointment: “Marty is known for his ability to transform sales organisations through value-based strategies”. 

“He has a proven track record of accelerating growth across global markets, with particular expertise in industrial automation and enterprise sales,” Tal adds.