BVAA Chairman Bill Whiteley leaves Rotork after twelve years as Chief Executive Officer

Published: 25th September 2009 | Issue 6

Bill Whiteley with Peter France

The BVAA’s new Chairman Bill Whiteley retired as the Chief Executive Officer of valve actuator manufacturer Rotork at the beginning of May. Bill’s retirement was marked by the presentation of a specially commissioned crystal glass ornament featuring an embedded three-dimensional image of Rotork’s market leading IQ electric actuator.

The presentation was made by Bill’s successor Peter France in front of the Rotork workforce at the company’s headquarters in Bath, where Bill first "signed on" in 1974. In 1977 he became the Financial Director of the newly created Actuation Division, beginning a succession of management responsibilities for Rotork’s electric actuators that has been virtually continuous for 31 years. Between 1979 and 1987 Bill ran Rotork’s operations in the USA before returning to the UK and becoming Managing Director of the Actuation Division. He was appointed Rotork Group Chief Executive Officer in 1996.

"My aim has been to capitalise on the opportunities and developments presented by the international valve actuation marketplaces" says Bill.

"In 1993 we launched the IQ - the world’s first intelligent electric actuator with non-intrusive technology - which quickly became our flagship product. Our fluid power actuator business has also grown dramatically to become a world leading participant in this market. As the Managing Director of Rotork Fluid Systems my successor Peter France has played an inspirational role in this achievement. I have enormously enjoyed every aspect of my involvement with Rotork and feel privileged to have led it for the past twelve years. Rotork has always had a unique spirit which I feel confident under the talented leadership of Peter France will propel it to even greater success."

British Valve and Actuator Association

Telephone:	01295 221270
Email:	enquiry@bvaa.org.uk
Website:	www.bvaa.org.uk
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