Slough, England (14th January 2025) ― John Crane, a global leader in rotating equipment solutions and services, and a business of Smiths Group plc, has announced the appointment of Ruben Alvarez as its new CEO. Alvarez takes over from outgoing CEO, Bernard Cicut, on the 1st February. Cicut will retire at the end of this month.
Alvarez is intimately acquainted with the John Crane business. He brings a wealth of experience and market knowledge having spent the last 27 years working for the company. During that time, he has held management positions across a number of key geographies and functions, including Executive Vice President of Sales and Aftermarket, Divisional Vice President of Strategy, Portfolios and Marketing, and most recently his current role of Divisional Vice President, Portfolios and Customer Operations.
Alvarez is responsible for ensuring that John Crane capitalises on its position as a market-leader with engineering innovations for advanced sealing and filtration solutions and services. Under his leadership, the company will continue to focus on developing innovative engineering solutions and services that prioritise a customer-first ethos while also committing to sustainable practices that protect the environment. These principles are central to achieving the company’s vision.
"I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to Bernard for his leadership of John Crane over the past few years. I am honoured to take over the responsibility at what I believe is an incredibly exciting time for the business," commented Alvarez. "The demand for our technical expertise has never been greater. At John Crane, we are uniquely positioned to innovate and pioneer new solutions and services. Solutions that will support the safe adoption of a range of clean power alternatives as well as reducing emissions in the traditional energy sectors. I look forward to leading our talented team as we continue to drive progress and deliver on our vision."
Alvarez holds a Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Central Florida and a Master of Business Administration in International Management from the European University of Toulouse, France. He has also completed various International Executive Management Programs at Harvard Business School, UCLA and IMD.
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About John Crane
John Crane is a global leader in mission-critical technologies for the energy and process industries and an innovator in rotating equipment, encompassing mechanical seals, couplings, filtration systems and cutting-edge asset management and digital diagnostics solutions. Blending a rich legacy of innovation with a commitment to service excellence, we've enabled our customer’s reliable and sustainable operations for over a century. While recognising the role of traditional energy, we are pioneering solutions that enable cleaner alternatives, crafting a vision for a sustainable energy future. Our extensive global presence underscores our promise to customers, with over 200 service centres in 50 countries. With over £1.1 billion in revenue in 2024, we are an integral pillar of Smiths Group plc, a FTSE 100 listed industrial technology company dedicated to engineering a better future. Visit www.smiths.com for more.