India: Ravi Kirpalani will join ThyssenKrupp India on the 14 March 2016 and take charge as the CEO of the Regional Headquarters of ThyssenKrupp India effective from 1 July 2016.

Indian-born, Kirpalani's last role was the Managing Director of Castrol India. Prior to joining ThyssenKrupp, he spent over 16 years at BP where he held a number of roles in India and in the UK. He will provide on-going support for the strategic development of all ThyssenKrupp’s business in India. He succeeds Michael Thiemann, who has been responsible for the region since 1 May 2013 and previously held various management functions at ThyssenKrupp Uhde GmbH over a period of more than 35 years, including member of the Management Board and CEO.

India is currently the third most important market in Asia for ThyssenKrupp. In the 2014 - 15 financial year the group generated sales of around Euro560m in the country and employed almost 6000 people at local companies.

India: Shailendra Chouksey, a director of JK Lakshmi Cement, has been appointed as the new president of the Cement Manufacturers' Association (CMA) for a two year term. He replaces OP Puranmalka, the managing director of Ultratech Cement. Previously Chouksey was the vice-president of the association.

"As the newly elected president of the CMA, my priority is to device methods to work with different stakeholders, including the government of India to spur the cement demand," said Chouksey.

Chouksey holds a PhD in managerial economics, an MBA in marketing from the Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi and a post-graduate degree in physics. He has worked in the cement industry for nearly 40 years.

Paraguay: Matias Cardarelli has been appointed the director of Yguazu Cementos, a joint-venture between Intercement and Concret Mix. Yguazu Cementos has a 0.4Mt/yr cement grinding plant with in Villa Hayes. Previously, Cardarelli worked for Ford Motors and Zurich Financial Services. He joined Intercement in Argentina in 2008.

Zimbabwe: Kelibone Masiyane has been appointed as the managing director of PPC Zimbabwe. He replaces Njombo Lekula, who recently became the managing director of PPC's international operations. Previous to the appointment, Masiyane’s was the general manager of the Colleen Bawn and the Bulawayo cement plants.

"Kelibone's promotion will see him assume overall responsibility for PPC Zimbabwe's business, with his key focus our Harare factory," said Lekula. Other recent promotions include those of Iain Sheasby and Karen Mhazo to the roles of Commercial Director and General Manager of Finance respectively, and that of current Group Human Resources Manager designate Trust Mabaya in March 2016.