Brian Hutton

Columbia/Okura - United States

Experienced automation and palletisation executive Fred Robinson will replace Brian Hutton as president of Columbia/Okura.

Columbia/Okura says Hutton will retire after more than 17 years of leading the North American robotic palletiser company.

Hutton served in his current role since 2012 after joining the joint venture company as managing director in 2006.

Columbia Machine chief executive says: “Over the last 10 years Columbia/Okura has developed from a standalone palletising solution provider to a large systems integrator, providing turnkey engineering and installation services for numerous multimillion dollar systems and integrated bagging lines.”

Robinson will take over the day-to-day responsibilities of company president on 1 July.

Gregory Da Re

Frontier Lithium - Canada

Frontier Lithium has appointed former Invest in Canada executive Gregory Da Re as vice president of corporate development.

As regional director at Invest in Canada, the Canadian government’s investment attraction agency, Da Re managed a pipeline of more than CAD 20 billion to attract and build an electric vehicle (EV) supply chain within Ontario province.

Frontier Lithium president and chief executive officer Trevor Walker says: “We are thrilled to welcome Greg to our team and add his extensive experience in investment strategy and deep knowledge of EV battery supply chains to our bench strength."

Da Re says: “The global transition towards electric vehicles and renewable energy has created unprecedented demand for lithium, making it a critical component for a sustainable future. 

“I am eager to contribute my expertise and work alongside the talented team here to advance the company a step closer to production through further integration across the EV supply chain.” 

Tony Villanova

Tompkins Robotics - United States

Tompkins Robotics has named Tony Villanova as new vice president of PickPal Solutions.

Villanova brings more than two decades of supply chain operations expertise to Tompkins Robotics, including roles in retail, third-party logistics and industrial companies.

Most recently, he worked with 6 River Systems designing and delivering autonomous mobile robot (AMR) solutions.  

Villanova holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Corporate Finance from West Virginia University and a Master of Business Administration from Salisbury University, Maryland.  

Tompkins Robotics president and chief executive Mike Futch says: "We are pleased to welcome Tony to help lead our PickPal Solutions business.

"He is a collaborative leader, strategic thinker and skilled communicator with hands-on experience with AMR solutions, and we look forward to his contributions to the company."