Bühler Inc, a global leader in process engineering and technology for food, feed and advanced industrial materials, has announced the appointment of Andy Sharpe as its new president and chief executive officer as of Jan. 1, 2019. Sharpe succeeds René Steiner, who will be retiring, capping off a successful 50 year career at Bühler.

Steiner will remain with Bühler throughout the official transition to ensure continuity of operations and to continue to develop important customer relationships, the company said.

Sharpe has more than 20 years’ experience with Bühler, working across all functions of the organization, including sales, marketing, research and development, engineering, manufacturing and executive leadership. Sharpe started with Bühler in 1996, when he was hired as market manager to establish the company’s European office in Stamford, U.K. Later, he was appointed regional director to serve market needs for the company’s European, Middle Eastern and African markets. Most recently, Sharpe served as president and CEO of Bühler Aeroglide in Raleigh, N.C., from April 2015 to the present.

Prior to joining Bühler, Sharpe served as business manager for the snack and cereal division of APV Baker in Peterborough, U.K., where he marketed complete food processing lines.

“It’s an exciting time to take over the helm of Bühler North America as we advance a phase of equipment solutions and digital innovations that allow our customers to satisfy the basic food, mobility and communications needs for billions of people, every day,” Sharpe said. “As president and CEO, my goal is to perpetuate Bühler’s world-class expertise to help our customers grow their businesses across all industries, as well as create a workplace where our employees can thrive and do their very best.”