ABB names Morten Wierod as new CEO, succeeding Björn Rosengren

Morten Wierod has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer by the ABB Board of Directors. He will assume the role on August 1, 2024, succeeding Björn Rosengren, who will step down from his position effective July 31, 2024, and retire by December 31, 2024.

During the transition period from August 1, 2024, until the year's end, Björn Rosengren will provide guidance and support to Morten Wierod and the Executive Committee to ensure a smooth handover.

After a comprehensive selection process, the Board chose Morten Wierod, aged 52 and a Norwegian citizen. He has been with ABB since 1998 and has been a member of the Executive Committee since 2019, currently serving as President of the Electrification Business Area. Previously, he held the position of President of the Motion Business Area. Morten Wierod holds a Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

ABB Chairman Peter Voser said, “I am pleased that after a competitive selection process, we are able to name an outstanding internal candidate to lead ABB. Morten is a strong successor to Björn with his deep understanding of ABB and our decentralized operating model, in addition to his extensive expertise across our key customer segments and strong performance track record. Under Morten’s leadership, ABB will continue to focus on our key priorities while our new financial and sustainability targets remain firmly in place.

“At the same time, the Board is extremely grateful to Björn for his outstanding leadership over the past four years. Thanks to our ABB Way operating model, he was instrumental in aligning ABB’s business portfolio to our purpose and significantly improving our financial and sustainability performance. Björn will hand over an efficient, more profitable and faster-growing ABB.”

Morten Wierod stated, “I am grateful that the Board has given me the opportunity to lead this great company with its people and technologies that are at the heart of building a low-carbon society. It has been a privilege to work alongside Björn over the past years. After we have set more ambitious financial and sustainability standards not long ago, I will continue building on our decentralized operating model to capture the full potential of our market-leading positions in electrification and automation.”

Björn Rosengren commented, “It has been an honour to lead ABB over the past years, and I am convinced that the company will be in good hands with Morten. Together with more than 105,000 people, we have transformed ABB into an agile and purpose-driven leader in electrification and automation that has an important role in helping to accelerate the energy transition. I am convinced that ABB is uniquely positioned to seize the opportunities ahead.”

ABB offers effective and dependable power distribution solutions for bauxite, alumina, and aluminium smelter operations, along with a comprehensive selection of high, medium, and low-voltage equipment designed for electric power switching and distribution. ABB's high-power rectifier systems, capable of single unit ratings reaching up to 113 kA and 1,750 VDC or 100 kA and 2,000 VDC, and their FOCS 20 – 500 kA fibre optic DC measuring system, stand out for their top-notch efficiency.