Megadyne Group and Ammeraal Beltech Appoint New CEO

Megadyne Group and Ammeraal Beltech have appointed a combined CEO, Stijn Vriends. This is a first step in consolidating the two companies specialized in belting under the same leadership.

The appointment follows the recent agreement by Partners Group, the global private markets investment manager, to acquire and merge both companies on behalf of its clients, creating a full-service provider across specialist industrial transmission belting and lightweight conveyor belting.

Stijn Vriends, a Dutch national, has lived and worked in Italy for the past 15 years. He started his professional career as an operations manager at Koninklijke Hoogovens in the Netherlands and has worked in a range of leadership positions within the industrial manufacturing sector over the course of his career.

“I am very pleased that Stijn has accepted our offer to lead Megadyne and Ammeraal Beltech and develop the combined group into a true global champion. Over the course of his extensive professional experience in both the Netherlands and Italy, he has accumulated in-depth knowledge of both working cultures and languages along with prior success in managing a private equity-owned company. All of this makes him the ideal fit for our requirements in this position,” said Horst Heidsieck, chairman of the supervisory board.

Vriends added: “With a track record of growth-focused leadership, I believe I am well-suited to combine the best of both companies’ cultures, in order to realize the full potential to clients and employees, and to achieve global market leadership.”