People on the Move: American Seating, Huitt-Zollars, Luminator, Stertil-Koni, STV

American Seating welcomed Heidi Peterson as its new COO. Peterson will oversee all operational and engineering functions within the company. 

Peterson's past experience includes a successful tenure as vice president of operations at Haworth, where she took lead on ensuring lean processes and quality enhancements across North American manufacturing and supply chain operations. 

"Heidi's extensive experience and proven track record in driving operational excellence align perfectly with American Seating's goals. We’re pleased to welcome her aboard as our new COO," said Tom Bush, CEO of American Seating. 

Elaine Jin, PE, has joined Huitt-Zollars as vice president in its transportation practice. Jin will be based in Dallas, Texas, and, in this role, she will take lead in business development and client relations for the transportation sector. 

Jin brings more than 24 years of experience in the transportation industry, with a focus on project delivery and team management. Having previously served as a structural engineer at Huitt-Zollars, she is well-versed in project management skills with a proven track record of delivering successful projects for the Texas Department of Transportation, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Dallas Area Rapid Transit, Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, The North Texas Tollway Authority and the Harris County Toll Road Authority, as well as various municipalities and private developers.  

Jin most recently served as the Texas Structure Technical Excellence Center  lead and vice president for an ENR top 10 firm, where she managed a staff of 30 in three locations, collaborated with the leadership team to identify growth opportunities and led business development initiatives across multiple disciplines and market sectors. Her extensive technical and management experience consistently demonstrates her ability to deliver challenging projects by developing and mentoring project teams. 

Magnus Friberg has been appointed CEO of Luminator.  

"Upon completion of a thorough search process during the summer months, Magnus has emerged as the board‘s clear No. 1 choice. We are thrilled to have attracted such a well-qualified, multicultural leader to lead Luminator Technology Group. His proven leadership skills, strategic insights and deep sector knowledge make him the ideal choice to lead the company, as we continue our mission to provide innovative, market-leading products and services to our clients,” said David Coppe, Luminator’s chairman of the board. 

Friberg joins Luminator from Icomera, where he served as CEO 

"I am honored to have been selected to lead Luminator Technology Group  and thrilled to join as the company embarks on its next phase of growth and transformation,” Friberg said. “With a portfolio of innovative businesses and a tremendous talent, the opportunity ahead for LTG is vast and I look forward to working with our team, customers, partners and board to focus on unlocking its value for a successful path forward." 

Friberg will also be joining  Luminator’s Board of Directors. 

Stertil-Koni has brought on Jeff Sampson as regional sales manager. Sampson brings more than two decades of capital equipment expertise to his new role and will cover a territory that includes the central United States. 

He succeeds Rawn Roman, who is retiring at the end of 2023 after more than a quarter century with Stertil-Koni. 

“This is a bittersweet day for us. On one hand, we will genuinely miss Rawn’s warmth and substantial business acumen. At that same time, Stertil-Koni is delighted to welcome Jeff, who brings more than 20 years of heavy-duty vehicle lift expertise and success as a regional sales manager to our rapidly growing company. Jeff shares our keen focus on delivering the best in customer care and support and we know he will be an asset to our distributors, our customers and our company in general.” 

Carol Rose, PMP, has been promoted to vice president of STV. In this role, Rose will lead STV’s vehicle team projects and pursuits with some of its largest clients. 

“Over the course of her more than 28-year career at STV, Carol has demonstrated exceptional technical expertise, having started as an electrical test engineer and growing into both project management and supervisory roles,” said James Martin, P.E., PMP, senior vice president and the head of the vehicles group at STV. “We are proud of how Carol has grown her career at STV, as well as her long-standing rapport with many of our key clients.” 

Rose joined STV in 1996 and has served in various capacities for rail vehicle procurement and engineering programs. She has worked in close partnership with agencies like the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, Connecticut Department of Transportation, as well as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Metro-North Railroad and Long Island Rail Road.