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Executive Moves: Softbox, NAM and Hines

Changes made to leadership team, new board sworn in and senior director hired.

   Softbox has appointed Kevin Valentine as general manager for Europe and Dharmesh Chauhan as sales director for Europe and promoted Dinesh Patki to general manager of India.
   Softbox, a global provider of temperature-control packaging for the life science and logistics industries, said the changes to the structure of its leadership team are designed to enhance the company’s growth in Europe and India as well as enable the smooth integration of the acquired business TP3 Global.
   Valentine (pictured above left) will lead production, commercial, technical design, product innovation and quality assurance teams across both Softbox and TP3 Global in Europe. He joins the Softbox global executive team with more than 25 years of leadership experience in the science and production of advanced temperature-control packaging solutions and thermal covers for the pharmaceutical industry. 
   Chauhan (pictured above right) will lead the newly combined Softbox and TP3 Global sales teams in Europe. He joins the management team with significant industry experience and demonstrated excellence in commercial business development, Softbox said.
   Patki, who has extensive customer relationships in the Indian market, will be responsible for the implementation of a smooth transition with the new team structure to ensure service excellence and high-quality product delivery for Softbox India customers.

   David Seaton, chairman and CEO of Fluor Corp., has been tapped to serve a two-year term as chair of the National Association of Manufacturers Board of Directors. Michael Lamach, chairman and CEO of Ingersoll Rand, will serve as vice chair. 
   In its announcement, NAM said the board “is primed as manufacturers’ voice to help secure additional reforms to spur job creation, increase economic competitiveness and build a 21st century manufacturing workforce.”
   Chuck Wetherington, president of BTE Technologies Inc., will serve as chair of NAM’s Small and Medium Manufacturers Group. Vicki Holt, president and CEO of Protolabs Inc., will serve as vice chair.
   NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons said, “Across America, manufacturers are investing, hiring and raising wages and benefits, empowered by the tools we’ve been given in recent years. To continue creating opportunities for America’s manufacturing workers, we’ll work with Congress and the administration to move the country forward on infrastructure, export expansion, immigration, workforce development and much more.”

   Hines, a privately owned global real estate investment firm, announced that Ryan Wood has joined the firm’s U.S. Southeast region as senior director. He will lead industrial and logistics developments and acquisitions for the region.
   Before joining Hines, Wood held several roles at IDI Logistics, including market officer and vice president of corporate development. Prior to that, he was a senior associate at JLL.

Kim Link Wills

Senior Editor Kim Link-Wills has written about everything from agriculture as a reporter for Illinois Agri-News to zoology as editor of the Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine. Her work has garnered awards from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Magazine Association of the Southeast. Prior to serving as managing editor of American Shipper, Kim spent more than four years with XPO Logistics.