Industry & Services >> CEO Interviews >> July 7, 2003

Philipe Lemaitre – Woodhead Industries Inc (wdhd)

PHILIPPE LEMAITRE is Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Woodhead Industries, Inc., a $200 million NASDAQ company. Before joining Woodhead in 1999, Mr. Lemaitre held the position of Corporate Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of AMP, Inc., and was also in charge of the Computer and Telecom Business Group ($2.5 billion in sales). Prior to joining AMP, Mr. Lemaitre was employed by TRW, Inc., as Executive Vice President of TRW and General Manager of the Automotive Electronics Group ($1 billion in sales). He previously held various management and research engineering positions with TRW, Inc., International Technegroup, Inc., General Electric and Engineering Systems International. He holds a Master of Civil Engineering degree from Ecole Speciale des Travaux Publics, Paris, France, and a Master of Science degree from the University of California, Berkeley. Mr. Lemaitre has been engaged in the development of technology and technology-driven businesses throughout his career, beginning with the development and application of structural and mechanical software for the design of highly sophisticated products in the French nuclear, defense and aerospace industries. At Structural Dynamics Research Corporation (SDRC) (acquired by GE) he was involved in General Electric's 'factory of the future' program. Following the closing of this program, Mr. Lemaitre and the founder of SDRC started International Technegroup, Inc. (ITI), a $16 million consulting company concentrating in the field of manufacturing and product design for the automotive and aerospace industries. As co- founder of ITI, Mr. Lemaitre helped TRW develop a technology and business strategy for the company's electronics business, and then joined them as Vice President, Planning and Development in TRW's automotive sector. At TRW, he worked first with the strategy development staff and then as General Manager of the automotive electronics group to implement the strategy he had developed. During his tenure as General Manager, he integrated multiple independent electronic business units into three divisions and grew the business organically from $120 million to $500 million in four years. Key elements of this growth were the successful entry into the Japanese market and the development of many new high technology products such as the first electronic airbag sensor system for Chrysler vehicles. Later, as Executive Vice President of TRW and General Manager of its worldwide $1 billion Automotive Electronics Group, Mr. Lemaitre applied his vision to significantly improve performance in Europe and growth worldwide. As Chief Technology Officer of AMP, Mr. Lemaitre oversaw the strategic direction of engineering, research and product development for all business units. Prior to the acquisition of AMP by TYCO, he was also responsible for AMP's worldwide $2.5 billion computer, communications and consumer electronics businesses. Now as Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Woodhead Industries, Inc., Mr. Lemaitre is directing the rapid, worldwide growth of the company's industrial communications business by refocusing the company's more traditional electrical and connector businesses toward the development and production of software and hardware connectivity solutions to the global factory automation market. Profile
TWST: Could we start out with a brief history and an overview of Woodhead Industries?



Mr. Lemaitre: We were founded in 1922, so we have been here for a while. We became a NASDAQ company