People in the News
AWS Welcomes Robert Roth as Interim Executive Director and CEO
Robert “Bob” W. Roth has been selected by the AWS Board of Directors as the interim executive director and CEO. The appointment comes as former Executive Director and CEO Gary Konarska II transitioned into his new role as vice president, president, Europe Welding, The Lincoln Electric Co. AWS thanks Konarska for his three years of service leading the organization.
Roth has been a volunteer at AWS for more than 20 years, serving on the company’s Finance Committee, on its Board of Directors, and as AWS president in 2020 and 2021. He retired as president of RoMan Manufacturing in January 2023. Roth will ensure ongoing focus on the execution of AWS’s 2023 organizational goals along with continuity and stability during the search for a successor.
Further, a search committee consisting of AWS Board leadership and a member of the AWS Foundation will work with an executive search firm to identify the next executive director and CEO. There will be periodic updates throughout the search process, and the Board is committed to finding the best candidate as quickly as possible.
Kennametal Appoints Michael Pici to Vice President of Investor Relations
Kennametal Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa., a supplier of tooling and industrial materials, has named Michael Pici as vice president of investor relations. He will be responsible for the company’s global investor relations strategy and will report directly to Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Patrick Watson.
Pici has more than 30 years of experience across investor relations, financial analysis, reporting, and corporate development. He has held financial leadership positions at numerous publicly traded companies and has more than a decade of investor relations experience.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing management, an MBA in financial management from Pace University, and a Six Sigma Certification from the University of Michigan.
Pici replaces Kelly Boyer, who is moving into a new role at Kennametal. She and Pici will work together to ensure a seamless transition.