Sumitomo Drive Technologies EMEIA Continues to Develop Its Management Structure

Sumitomo Drive Technologies EMEIA is strengthening its operational leadership: Eric Goos, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the SCG Group, is assuming increasing responsibility for the operational management and strategic development of SCG’s activities under the Sumitomo Drive Technologies brand. This will allow Florian Butzmann, CEO of the Strategic Business Unit Drive Technologies (DT-SBU) in the EMEIA region and CEO of the SCG Group, to focus more effectively on his group-wide board responsibilities and on advancing strategic collaboration within the Mechatronics segment.

With his board appointment at the SCG Group’s parent company, this expanded responsibility is now formally recognized. Effective July 9, 2026, Eric Goos will be entered in the commercial register as one of the four managing directors of Sumitomo (SHI) Cyclo Drive Germany GmbH—the headquarters of Sumitomo Drive Technologies EMEIA—and will thereby receive formal voting rights on the SCG Group’s board. His role as COO and member of the SCG Group’s Executive Team remains unchanged. The goal is to anchor operational decisions more firmly in regional activities and to further strengthen collaboration within the European Drive Technologies structure.

Greater Operational Responsibility for Eric Goos

“Eric Goos has played a decisive role in shaping the development of Sumitomo Drive Technologies in the EMEIA region over the past few years. Since the spring, he has been providing me with significant support in operational leadership and in developing our medium-term strategy. This frees me up to focus more on my group-wide board responsibilities as well as on further collaboration within the Mechatronics segment. His additional responsibility on the SCG Group’s board is therefore a logical next step,” says Florian Butzmann.

Focus on Collaboration Within the Mechatronics Segment

With his group-wide board responsibilities, Florian Butzmann is increasingly focusing on the strategic development of the European Drive Technologies activities within the Mechatronics Segment of Sumitomo Heavy Industries (SHI). These include the SCG Group, the Lafert Group, Invertek Drives, and other activities within SHI Europe. The focus is on closer collaboration within the Drive Technologies business unit, the pooling of expertise, and the gradual development of shared services and processes with SHI’s European sister companies.

“I look forward to continuing to drive the success story of Sumitomo Drive Technologies in the EMEIA region together with our team. The demands on drive technology are changing rapidly. With innovative solutions, strong operational structures, and close collaboration with our customers, we aim to actively shape this development,” says Eric Goos.

Eric Goos’ Career

Eric Goos has been closely associated with Sumitomo Drive Technologies for nearly 20 years. From 2008 to 2016, he worked for Hansen Industrial Transmissions N.V. in Edegem, Belgium. From 2016 to 2026, he served as General Manager of the Belgian site and was responsible for both operational and strategic initiatives—ranging from efficiency and process programs to the further development of the site. In addition, he was actively involved for several years in the European industry association EUROTRANS, including serving as its president.

Executive Team Steers Operational Development

The operational management of Sumitomo Drive Technologies within the SCG Group is handled by the SCG Group’s Executive Team. In addition to CEO Florian Butzmann and COO Eric Goos, the team includes Karin Diebold (Finance), Peter Benzenhöfer (Sales), Dirk Hemmerich-Diehl (Human Resources), Martin Pointner (Plant Manager in Markt Indersdorf, Germany), and Filip Apers (Plant Manager in Edegem, Belgium). The committee is responsible for the strategic and operational development of the SCG organization in the EMEIA region.

The Role of the SCG Group within Sumitomo Drive Technologies

Florian Butzmann will continue to serve as Chief Executive Officer of the Drive Technologies Strategic Business Unit (DT-SBU) in the EMEIA region. The Drive Technologies SBU is the division for drive solutions within the global Japanese engineering company Sumitomo Heavy Industries, under whose umbrella the Sumitomo Drive Technologies brand is operated, among others.

In addition to Sumitomo (SHI) Cyclo Drive Germany GmbH, the Strategic Business Unit also includes the two companies Lafert S.p.A. (San Donà di Piave, Italy) and Invertek Drives Ltd. (Welshpool, United Kingdom), led by Cesare Savini and Adrian Ellam, respectively.

Sumitomo Drive Technologies is the umbrella brand for drive technology activities in the EMEIA region. Within this structure, the SCG Group forms an operational group of companies with its own management and board structure. The Lafert Group and Invertek Drives are also part of the Drive Technologies SBU but are managed through their own management structures.