NEW CEO FOR LINDE AG
WIESBADEN, Germany -- Linde AG has appointed Wolfgang Reitzle as chief executive of the Linde Group, effective January 1, 2003. He will replace Gerhard Full, who retires this year after serving as a board member since 1978 and chief executive since May 1997. Mr Reitzle, who joins the company from Ford Motor Company, where he retains a consulting agreement, has also been made an executive board member, effective May 10. He has also worked for car maker BMW in past. "I could not wish for a better successor than him," Mr Full said.


NEW PRESIDENT FOR BT INDUSTRIES
MJOLBY, Sweden -- BT Industries AB executive vice-president and chief financial officer Per Zaunders has been appointed chief executive, replacing BT president and chief executive Carl-Erik Ridderstrale when he retires on June 1. Ridderstrale's 10-year tenure spans four decisive periods for BT: taking the company from red to black in the early 1990s; BT's stock listing in Stockholm in 1995; acquisitions, including Raymond Corporation in 1997, and Cesab in 1999-2000; and the company's de-listing and merger with Toyota Industries Corp in June 2000. Ridderstrale will now serve as an adviser to Toyota. "I am confident that (Zaunders') skill and experience will continue to be a major asset for BT," he said. Zaunders said he saw the move as "taking the baton" from his predecessor. "We have worked together for a long time and agreed on all major issues, so it won't be a big transition," he said.