Advanced Engineering… in Liquid Form
Gulf Insider’s Nick Cooksey was invited to Italy where PETRONAS Lubricants International (PLI) unveiled the strategic restructuring of its EMEA leadership team
In the heart of Turin, nestled amidst a landscape of technological advancement and industrial prowess, stands the Petronas Research and Technology Center. It is a state-of-the-art beacon of innovation equipped with the latest technologies and equipment, and a team of over 100 highly skilled scientists and engineers working on a variety of projects.
I was at there on 18th October to attend a press conference, where I learned of PLI’s strategic restructuring of its EMEA regional leadership team. The aim is to streamline decision-making processes and empower regional leaders to remain agile and responsive to the evolving needs of customers.
The new model comprises four business units, which will have responsibility for driving PLI’s strategic agenda and commercial results.
The EMEA Region’s Marketing organization has been remodelled to include Marketing, Customer Service, and Customer Excellence functions, aimed to further enhance the interaction between and within departments and ensure an end-to-end customer experience.
“Under our new leadership structure, we have the setup to make the next step in industry agility and customer-centricity across the EMEA region. This transformation empowers our local operations, enabling the teams to navigate the competitive landscape and deliver unmatched value to our customers, partners, distributors, and other stakeholders,” said Giuseppe Pedretti, Regional Managing Director EMEA.
PETRONAS Lubricants also launched its new NEV Fluids Business Unit to support the research, development, and marketing of lubricant solutions specifically designed for the electric vehicle (EV) market.
It will be led by James Mark, former EMEA Marketing Director, who said: “We’re in an exciting era of the automotive industry as we see more types of cars on the road than before, all with different needs and performance requirements. I am excited to lead our research and development teams to engineer the EV fluid solutions for tomorrow, today. I look forward to growing PLI’s NEV Business to become a key global player in this segment.”
Alessandro Orsini, Head of Group Marketing and Group Customer Excellence at PLI, added:
“PETRONAS Lubricants International’s target is to be a top player in the EV Fluids Solutions Industry, and this team will be the catalyst to accelerate us towards this ambition. James’ experience will be crucial to effectively accelerate the company’s offering for a sustainable mobility future and be a relevant NEV Fluid player globally.”
After the press conference I and other journalists were given a tour of the center, which serves as a hub for cutting-edge research and development. I witnessed teams of skilled specialists, scientists, and engineers developing next-generation lubricants designed to enhance performance while minimizing environmental impact. They are also pioneering alternative fuel technologies, and exploring innovative approaches to reduce emissions for a greener environment.
Such a focus on research and development of new technologies to improve the efficiency and environmental performance of the oil and gas sector is clearly one of the key reasons that Petronas is an industry leader.
I had never appreciated all the science and technology that goes into the development of modern engine oils until I took this press trip. In fact, it’s something I had never given any serious thought to. Now, I feel a certain reverence for what goes into the manufacture of such lubricants, and I consider them as nothing less than advanced engineering in liquid form.
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