Bridges is new Alfa Laval UK MD
14th May 2024
UK: Rachel Bridges has been appointed as UK managing director of Alfa Laval, the global heat transfer, separation and fluid handling company.
The first female to take the role, Bridges succeeds Micael Hellborg who has held the position for the last five years and is moving to Sweden to become Alfa Laval’s global multibrands manager.
Having spent 20 years at power technology company Cummins Inc in both the marine and aftermarket businesses, Bridges will now oversee business in a multitude of sectors including marine, energy, food and beverage, and water management.
Cummins and Alfa Laval have a long association. In the 1990s the two companies collaborated on the design and development of an oil filter for the high-speed engine industry. Cummins also uses other products from Alfa Laval as critical systems, such as Alfa Laval heat exchangers for cooling for its marine engines.
“I’ve been connected to Alfa Laval for a long time and know it’s a fantastic company to work for – many of the people I met early on in my career are still here which is testament to its ethos,” Rachel Bridges commented.
“There’s a lot of crossover in the products and sectors that Alfa Laval serves, and I’m really energised by the fact I can apply my marine experience across this unique industry,” she added.
Bridges is also passionate about driving Alfa Laval’s well-established sustainability and diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies forward in the UK. In her previous role, she was a leader focused on DE&I and active supporter of the Women’s Affinity groups which provided guidance and mentorship for girls and women across the world. She would also regularly support STEM focused activities helping each problem solving and creating thinking skills from a young age.
