German industrial major Siemens Energy has appointed Thorbjörn Fors as senior vice president of its Asia Pacific division.
Fors was previously the executive vice president of the firm’s industrial applications division. He moves from Sweden to Singapore for his new role, and will oversee business across 16 countries, including India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea and Australia.
“The Asia-Pacific region plays a crucial role in the energy transformation. As we rise to meet the region’s growing appetite for energy, we must harness the momentum for the energy transition to power the shift from coal to gas and renewables,” Fors said in a statement.
Siemens Energy added that Asia Pacific is one of its strongest growth regions. The firm builds turbines for gas power plants, and has been working on supporting cleaner hydrogen fuel. Siemens Energy pledged not to take on new coal projects at the end of 2020.
Siemens Energy is also two-thirds of Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, the second-largest wind turbine manufacturer in the world.
Fors is taking over after a challenging 2022 for Siemens Energy, which saw hits from restructuring of its Russia business and losses at Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy. Siemens Energy reported a net loss of US$690 million for the latest fiscal year, but expects growth in 2023.
Fors takes over from Samuel Morillon, who leaves his position after 13 months. Morillon is now vice president of the Pacific sub-region and is based in Melbourne, Australia.
Fors has decades of experience in the industrial sector. He held leadership positions at ABB and Alstom before moving to Siemens in 2004.
