Few automation executives can say they have an Oscar sitting on their bookshelf, but Charles “Chuck” Grindstaff, the newly appointed president of Siemens PLM Software, can.
Grindstaff joined Siemens in 2007 as part of the UGS acquisition and served as CTO and executive vice president of products prior to his promotion. Known in industry circles for his technical acumen, he earned a Scientific and Engineering Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for his groundbreaking work on digital signal processing systems in high-end movie applications. This month he replaces Siemens veteran Helmuth Ludwig, who will now lead the global communications team of Siemens Industry Automation, the company said.
Ludwig, who has been instrumental in helping unify Siemens’ software sales, will take his global expertise to the Siemens Industry Automation division to provide a range of strategic communications services, the company said. Tony Affuso remains chairman and CEO of Siemens PLM.
Shortly after Siemens acquired UGS, Ludwig was named president of the newly created PLM arm and tasked with integrating the UGS software business into Siemens Industry Automation’s portfolio of products. And, more importantly, he was asked to blend and unify the two dramatically different corporate cultures. With that task complete, Ludwig steps aside as a new leader arrives to drive the company forward.