Ultimo, an IFS company and leading provider of AI-augmented enterprise asset management (EAM) software, appointed Philip Neal to Chief Revenue Officer (CRO). Neal, who was previously Senior Vice President for EMEA & APAC, will now lead Ultimo’s global revenue strategy and commercial operations worldwide. Since joining Ultimo last year, Neal has led the introduction of a new go-to-market model focused on empowering enterprise and commercial customers to deliver on their transformation goals. The emphasis on deep Industry knowledge is helping strengthen Ultimo’s customer-first commercial strategy. Prior to Ultimo, he served as Senior Area Vice President and Head of Industrial for UK & Ireland at Salesforce, where he built a distinguished career helping industrial enterprises achieve customer and employee excellence, and deliver measurable return on investment through innovative software solutions. In this newly created global role, Neal will be responsible for transforming Ultimo’s goto-market approach toward long-term, strategic partnerships with customers worldwide. He will oversee all revenue-generating functions across Ultimo’s global markets, including North America, EMEA, and APAC, spanning sales, solution consulting, business development, and customer success. Neal will focus on accelerating adoption of AI-powered solutions and growing strategic partnerships to support scalable, customerdriven growth. Leading industrial boiler specialist, Cochran, has appointed Leigh Freeman as Head of People and Culture. Based at its headquarters in Newbie in South-West Scotland, Leigh will lead on the company’s recruitment, people strategy, talent development and culture. She brings more than 30 years’ experience in HR and recruitment to this newly created role and holds an MA in Human Resource Management, a NEBOSH 46 HYDRAULICS & PNEUMATICS March 2026 www.hpmag.co.uk Cochran bolsters its team with senior appointment David Steele has been appointed as Production Director at linear motion specialist HepcoMotion, marking a significant milestone in a career that began at the company as an apprentice. Having joined HepcoMotion as an apprentice 26 years ago, David steadily progressed through a variety of roles, including Production, Project Engineering, Quality & Projects Management, and Production Management at the company’s headquarters in Tiverton, Devon. David’s journey from apprentice to director reflects HepcoMotion’s long-standing commitment to developing talent in-house, with clear progression routes from apprenticeships through to leadership roles. Nearly one third of the company’s management team began their careers as Hepco apprentices. Reflecting on his appointment, David Steele said: “I’m delighted to take on the role of Production Director. My career at HepcoMotion has been shaped by the company’s dedication to training, mentorship, and continuous improvement. I look forward to leading our production team and supporting the next generation of talent.” HepcoMotion’s Managing Director, Peter Fanshawe, added: “David’s progression from apprentice to Production Director is a testament to his commitment, capability, and leadership. He has played a vital role in our success over the past 26 years, and his appointment reinforces our belief in developing talent from within the organisation.” As Production Director, David will oversee all aspects of production operations both at the Tiverton headquarters and Hepco Europe in Veghel. He will also support the development of apprentices and emerging leaders, including through Hepco’s T Level Academy, which helps strengthen the pipeline into the company’s apprenticeship programme. Philip Neal becomes CRO to drive customer-first growth at Ultimo general certificate, and is a qualified workplace mediator and Fellow of the CIPD (FCIPD). Most recently Leigh worked at Make UK, a membership organisation for the manufacturing industry where she provided HR consultancy to members. She oversaw the full HR function - from delivering targeted leadership training to guiding businesses through complex organisational change and site closures - and worked with owner-led companies, SMEs and global organisations. Leigh has also held senior in-house roles including Head of People and HR Manager positions in manufacturing and construction organisations. HepcoMotion appoints new Production Director NEW FACES
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