Marino Appointed Hitachi Rail Group CEO
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-Chief
Giuseppe Marino
Giuseppe Marino has returned to Hitachi Rail after a four-year absence. He is based in the company’s London headquarters. Marino is tasked with “guiding expansion in North America, APAC (Asia-Pacific) and EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa)as part of Hitachi’s Mid Term Management Plan 2024 while the company “enters an exciting new chapter delivering more innovative digital technologies and sustainable transport around the world.” He succeeds Andrew Barr, now President of Hitachi Europe in charge of EMEA Regional Strategies.
Marino, whose most recent role at Hitachi Rail was COO of Rolling Stock, “is set to lead expansion of capability and capacity at Hitachi Rail, which is already delivering rail transport in 38 countries and making 18 billion passenger journeys possible every year,” the company said. “He will lead delivery of new projects in North America, APAC and EMEA, expanding Hitachi Rail’s already global footprint. For example, the company is set to deliver the new Ontario Line in Toronto and a major digital signaling scheme in the Philippines, and continues to deliver high-speed trains for expansion of services in France and Spain. Marino will also oversee an increase in the scale of business capability in FY2023, particularly in engineering and project delivery. Hitachi Rail is due to ramp up its global recruitment efforts as it scales up to deliver its major international programs, particularly focusing on hiring new, diverse engineering talent in core and growing markets.”
“Hitachi Rail is a global business that offers a vast range of products and services for every part of the railway, but a key priority for Marino will be to accelerate the growth in the digital and green solutions it offers to customers, cities and governments,” the company noted. “In the sustainability space, Hitachi Rail already has battery trains running in Japan and Italy, and trials in the U.K. Plus, Hitachi Energy provides complete power supply systems for long-distance and mass transit railways around the world. For Marino, the next stage will work with other customers to decarbonize their railways based on the successful solutions already in place. And, there is much to do, with only 38% of the U.K.’s network electrified, and just 1% at present in the U.S., for example.”
As part of its objectives for the financial year, under Marino’s direction, Hitachi Rail said it intends to complete the acquisition of Thales’ Ground Transportation Services (GTS) business once it has the necessary regulatory clearances, and begin the subsequent integration. “The inclusion of GTS as part of the Hitachi Rail group will offer enhanced geographical coverage, as well as strengthening capabilities in signaling, passenger information, ticketing systems and digital solutions,” the company said. “The combined organizations will have the ability to offer a broader and deeper range of solutions to a wider base of customers, and further accelerate the growth in digital solutions.”
“Hitachi is one of the world’s great companies, famous for its commitment to social innovation and its pioneering spirit,” Marino said. “Rejoining Hitachi Rail, I’m already aware of the incredible transformation of the business over the past four years. Although Hitachi Rail is now a global integrated player in the mobility sector, I continue to be inspired by the passion and pride of our teams. Our shared mission is to drive decarbonization and digital transformation in mobility, while delivering growth through our strong partnerships with our customers.”
As President of Hitachi Europe, Andrew Barr will be “to further bring together Hitachi companies across the region and enhance the joint solutions they can offer key customers,” the company said. “By integrating the powerful solutions provided by group companies like Rail, Energy, Vantara and GlobalLogic, Hitachi can enhance its offer to major companies, cities and governments and jointly help them solve the biggest challenges faced by society. Barr’s leadership of Hitachi Rail has seen exceptional growth in North America, the acceleration of green battery solutions for rail and the launch of the smart mobility business.”
“It has been an honor to have lead Hitachi Rail through four years of growth, success and pioneering spirit,” said Barr. “From when I joined the company in 2005 after winning the U.K. Javelin trains contract, the transformation to a huge, integrated full-lineup global company is incredible. In my new role, I’m excited by the opportunity to more closely align Hitachi’s activities across the region.”
