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Ghana: Nigeria’s Dangote Cement has appointed Brice Houeto as its new country director for Ghana. He replaces Tor Nygard who has retired after two and half years of managing the business, according to the Daily Graphic newspaper. Houeto holds over a decade of management experience in the cement industry across Africa. Previously, he was the country managing director of Lafarge Cement, Guinea.

US: Bulk Handling Systems (NHS) has appointed Matthias Erdmannsdoerfer as managing director of Max-AI. Prior to this new role, Erdmannsdoerfer worked for more than six years as the president of National Recovery Technologies (NRT), a developer of optical sorting technology and subsidiary of BHS. In his new role Erdmannsdoerfer will be responsible for the Max-AI product line including sales, business development and product and application development.

Launched by BHS in 2017, Max-AI technology powers robotic sorters, optical sorters and reporting systems, and will continue to be integrated into new and existing equipment throughout material recovery facilities (MRFs). Since its inception, more than 50 Max-AI AQC (Autonomous Quality Control) robotic sorters have been sold in quality control (QC) applications of both fibre and containers.

Sweden: Cementa has appointed Jenny Larsson as the district manager for its south region. She succeeds Lars-Åke Andersson, who has held the role for 20 years. Andersson will retire in the spring of 2019 and the pair will work together until this time.

Spain: Votorantim Group has appointed Alan Svaiter as the chief executive officer (CEO) of Votorantim Cimentos España. He succeeds Jorge Wagner, who has been promoted to the role of CEO of Votorantim Cimentos Europe, Asia and Africa. In his new position Svaiter heads a subsidiary running four cement plants, two mills, 29 concrete plants, eight aggregate operations and one mortar plant. He also directs a team of more than 500 people.

Svaiter, a Brazilian national, joined Votorantim Group in 2008. After leading the logistics of its cement division for two years he was appointed the director of Engemix, the company’s concrete business in Brazil. In 2014 he became director of the supply chain of the cement group for the entire Brazilian market.

Svaiter, a production engineer trained at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, holds a master's degree from the INSEAD business school. He started his professional career working for the Ambev brewery before joining the mining company Vale.

Paraguay: The government has appointed Javier María Rodríguez as the president of Industria Nacional del Cemento’s (INC). He succeeds César Bogado, who was the interim president of the state-owned cement producer, according to the La Nación newspaper. Julio Ullón, the head of the civil cabinet, welcomed Rodríguez to the role and urged the new administration to, ‘continue to win national demand.’