EICF Board of Directors

Philippe HOSTE is active in the Investment Casting industry since 2015, as Managing Director of the CASTINGPAR GROUP, having today 3 plants employing a total of 200 people: the SETTAS foundry (Charleroi, Belgium), the PRECIMETAL foundry (Seneffe, Belgium) and the MPO machine shop (Orléans, France). CASTINGPAR is producing and exporting castings to 24 countries mainly for aerospace and defense applications. Before being in the Investment Casting industry, Philippe has been involved as CEO of aerospace manufacturing projects in France, Canada, USA, Morocco and Belgium with several achievements in business development, turnaround and M&A. Philippe has been appointed EICF Chairman at the General Assembly Meeting held in Santander last 15 of May 2022

Dr. Julio Aguilar is Senior Casting Expert at Safran, responsible for evaluation and validation of new casting technologies and materials. He is attached to the platform Safran Advanced Turbine Airfoils dedicated to the development of new generation single crystal high pressure turbine blades. After completing his bachelor metallurgical engineering studies at the National University of Mexico (UNAM) he worked eight years as foundry manager in Guatemala. He moved then to Germany where he obtained his M.Sc. and PhD at the Foundry Institute of RWTH Aachen University. Before joining Safran he was director of the TechCenter of Access e.V. in Germany, working mostly on investment casting technologies.

Emmanuel Falisse is actively involved in the investment casting industry since 2014, as Managing Director of IMC – Industrial Marketing Corporation SA, operating from Belgium. For more than 30 years, IMC is cooperating with premium manufacturers to distribute equipment and materials, as well as technical services, exclusively dedicated to the investment casting industry in Europe. Before being in the Investment Casting industry, Emmanuel has been involved during 24 years as a financing partner in industrial projects in the energy, aerospace, maritime and infrastructure sectors worldwide. His responsibilities were primarily commercial and management, while being strongly implicated in the technicalities of these sectors. He also acquired technical knowledge in the plastic injection industry where his family was active.

Adel holds an Engineering Diploma in Materials Science from Michigan State University (USA), and a Master of Science diploma in Composite Materials from Michigan State University (1992). Worked 10 years in Automotive industry as Quality Manager and certified TUV third party Lead Auditor Working in Aerospace Industry for more than 20 years as General Manager in Investment Casting and Machining of superalloys with American companies ( P&K International, Eurocast , Paradigm Precision). Adel has been Observer to the EICF Board since 2019.

Guillaume Noir is the Deputy CEO of the company AMA Services based in Paris, which is the exclusive agent for the whole Europe of Cannon Muskegon. AMA Services is acting in Europe as an agent but also as a distributor for all Cannon Muskegon products, since more than 30 years under the direction of Mr Jean François Donchery. He’s got himself over 10 years of experience in the super alloys business at AMA. Graduated of the IAE Paris ( Management school attached to Sorbonne University), he was previously specialized in Mergers & Acquisitions and consultant in Management for medium companies.

Steve GOODIER has been active in the Investment Casting industry since 1999. As Group Technical Director of the TRITEH GROUP, Steve heads up foundry Technical, Quality and Engineering activities, having today 4 investment foundries: Wrexham foundry (North Wales), Barnstaple foundry (England), Yeovil foundry (England) and Dharwad foundry (India). TRITECH GROUP also have 2 fully equipped machine shops and is producing and exporting castings to 25 countries across 4 continents, mainly for aerospace and defence applications. Before being in the Investment Casting industry, Steve was involved in the Sand Casting industry for 16 years, and is also a current Council Member of the Cast Metals Federation.

Alexander Lenert is CEO of the BLANK Group. BLANK is a specialist in investment casting parts for the automotive industry, the industry and implants and has around 1000 employees (500 in the HQ in Riedlingen/Germany and 500 in Timisoara/Romania). He has been with BLANK since 2019 and was previously the managing director of various companies in the automotive and defense industries with international locations. In these functions he was intensively involved with the investment casting industry as a customer. He studied mechanical engineering at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg.

Owen Draper is a graduate of the University of Birmingham, where he completed a PhD on investment casting core materials. He has over 20 years experience of working within foundries at Rolls-Royce where he specialises in Nickel superalloy single crystal investment casting. He has a background in technology development in both processes and for new parts. Most recently, Owen was the technical manager for a research foundry for the University of Birmingham and Rolls-Royce

Uri Joseph is the CEO of International Precision Casting Supplies, Ltd. and its affiliates. IPCS operates as a technical agents and distributers of materials specific to the investment casting industry. As a board member Uri Joseph acts on behalf of both IPCS and Ransom & Randolph LLC, In this role, Uri manages both the commercial and technical aspects of the business, providing leadership and support for international technical sales across four continents, and overseas offices in the United States and the United Kingdom. With over 25 years of experience in the investment casting industry, Uri has been instrumental in the recommendation and implementation of process and product improvements to customers worldwide. Uri has an expansive background in the industry, which offers a unique blend of knowledge in waxes and ceramics shell systems.

John Machielse went to the University of Amsterdam to finish his Master in Chemistry & Catalysis in 1992. In 1994 he finished a post-academic degree in Process Development at the University of Twente and also got his Master in Chemical Engineering. From 1994 until 2003 he was head of the R&D team at Byk-Cera BV, who produces wax additives for the paint & ink industry. Aer 5 years in marketing & sales in Honeywell’s synthetic wax department, he moved to Paramelt in 2009 to become Business Development manager for investment casting waxes. John Machielse is technically & commercially responsible in the European market for all Paramelt-Argüeso-Kindt Collins waxes related to the Investment casting industry.

Throughout my career I have always enjoyed taking an active role in shaping changes within a company while optimizing its processes and procedures through new methods and technologies. At the same time, I am committed to understanding customer needs and empowering my teams and employees – they should identify with the company’s products and processes and thereby be enabled to serve the customer at the highest level. As Managing Director of the MAT Transmission Division of MAT Foundry Group Ltd. and CEO MAT Europe I’m leading a group of companies serving the automotive market with highly engineered casting- and machining-components as well as complex assemblies. After graduating as mechanical engineer, I passed through numerous professional stations in the industry with international responsibility in various positions in Germany as well as India, Portugal and Japan. My professional development has been marked and characterised by technological advances, digitalisation and active co-development and optimisation of company processes. In these processes, my attention has mainly been directed towards the involvement of employees and development of the teams.

Mr. John S. Paraszczak is the President and CEO at REMET® Corporation since April 1999. He has been in Executive roles with various major international firms throughout his entire career. Following opportunities in multiple leadership positions with, IC Industries, LTV‘s Youngstown Sheet & Tube, Esmark Corp.’s Estech Oil, Swift Adhesives and National Wax Companies. Mr. Paraszczak rose to Vice President –International Sales in 1983, and has been an industry leader in the international business arena, with particular focus in the global precision investment casting industry since 1989. He served as President & CEO at Yates Investment Casting and Dussek Campbell-Yates International. Mr. Paraszczak serves as Chairman of the Board of Remet Corporation, and is a member of DePaul University’s College of LA & S Advisory Counsel. Mr. Paraszczak founded the “Shaping the Future” program in conjunction with the School of the Art Institute. He holds an M.B.A. from DePaul’s Kellstadt Business School and a Bachelor’s degree from DePaul University.

Michael Ruenz is Chief Executive Officer of the Deloro Group, a specialist wear solutions company comprising foundries, hot isostatic presses and coating plants across Europe. The Deloro Group includes Deloro Wear Solutions based in Koblenz | Germany and two other plants, Deloro Microfusione & Deloro Coatings in Milan | Italy. Prior to this position, Mr. Ruenz held various sales and general management positions with Kennametal Inc. in Europe, focusing on Kennametal's wear solutions business. Prior to joining Kennametal through the successful exit of an MBO/private equity of Deloro Stellite, Mr. Ruenz served as Managing Director of Deloro Stellite Holdings GmbH & Co KG, Deloro Stellite GmbH and Hettiger Stellite GmbH and actively participated in the sale process and due diligence during the exit as Managing Partner. On the operational side, he was responsible for the development of all business aspects of the Deloro Stellite Group's largest business unit, including sales, finance, operations, quality and development, and also oversaw the Group's operations in India and Italy, both of which were established or acquired during his tenure. Mr Rünz was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Deloro Stellite Group's businesses in France (ATS Stellite and ATS Sferic) from 2002 to 2006 and President until his successful exit from this business at Marle/Carlyle in 2011. Mr Rünz has been a member of the Board of Directors of the European Investment Casting Federation since 2004.

Calogero Vassallo holds a commercial business study degree and a degree as VDG engineer in foundry technology. He is active for nearly 30 years in the foundry industry, where he worked in several positions for leading foundry chemical suppliers producing various chemical products used in the foundry industry for sand-casting and permanent mould casting processes. He has worked as Sales Manager, Director of International Sales and Global Business Line Manager, in this position he already experienced the Investment Casting Industry. Since 2017 he is working for Imerys, where he started as Business Development Manager Foundry Europe for green moulding sand application. He is member of the board of the European Investment Casters` Federation. Since March 2020 he is Regional Sales Manager of Imerys Advanced Ceramics & Specialties (former Imerys Aluminates), member of Imerys group, world leader in the production of high engineered products for a large number of different industrial applications.

Karl is the Sales Director for Ross & Catherall Ltd, a superalloy manufacturer based in Sheffield, UK. He is responsible for the sales growth and marketing of the company worldwide into the Aerospace & IGT sectors, with the focus on complex and critical alloys for use with OEM manufacturers requiring ultra-low S & N capabilities. He has worked in the refractory and metals industry for over 25 years. He started his career working as a Process Metallurgist before moving into the refractories industry, specialising in technical ceramics and cores for the investment casting industry. This involved working with both investment casting and superalloy foundries worldwide on specialist ceramic shapes (crucibles, pour cups and precast shapes). Karl’s experience includes the establishment and management of sales agencies and local manufacturing facilities worldwide including India, Japan, Taiwan and the USA. He was also worldwide Sales Manager for the ceramic cores division at CIC Ltd for over 6 years. In 2017 Karl joined Ross & Catherall superalloys where his metallurgical and refractory background in the investment casting industry allows him to offer customers the benefits of his varied experience and knowledge of the processes and requirements that the modern investment casting foundry requires from its suppliers.

Gianmaria Pinasco is an italian citizen graduated in General Management in Genoa’s university that is active in Casting industry from 2009. Starting in sales, during time he covered different roles up to Managing Director position and had the chance to work in companies specialized in different casting technologies (High Pressure Die Casting Aluminum and Magnesium, Iron Cast, Precision Casting, Additive Manufacturing) . After joining Georg Fischer in 2017, in 2023 he took over the role of Head of Business Unit Aerospace and IGT. This Business Unit, part of GF Casting Solutions division, is specialized in Investment Casting and Additive Manufacturing with 4 plants in Switzerland and Romania and around 600 employees.

As CEO of the Cast Metals Federation, CMF, the Trade Association for the UK castings Industry, Pam Murrell is actively engaged in representing and supporting CMF Members who are from the UK castings industry. The CMF is also the UK member of the European Foundry Association (CAEF) and Pam provides the secretariat for the Investment Casting Section or CAEF as well as supporting the Institute of Cast Metals Engineers, ICME, who are members of the World Foundry Organisation. Pam has a BSc Hons degree in Metallurgy and Materials Science from the University of Cardiff and them completed a PhD on Fracture and Fatigue at Cranfield University.

Nathalie is the Business Development Manager for ICD Europe Ltd., based in Sheffield UK. The ICD Group is a major diversified international conglomerate which deals in manufacturing, trading and distribution of specialized commodity products. ICD supply Pure Metals, Ferro Alloys, Rare Earths and Nickel/Cobalt based alloy revert to the Aerospace, Oil & Gas, Medical, Nuclear and Automotive sectors, directly supplying foundries and investment casting facilities around the World from both their UK and US facilities. Nathalie specializes in Revert Management solutions for investment casting facilities. She has worked previously as senior account manager for 15 years at Ross & Catherall developing their European customer base and looking after existing key accounts within the investment casting industry. Prior to this she worked as an international sales executive for Gould Alloys , a stockist of wrought alloys dedicated to the Aerospace industry. Nathalie is French, grew up in Paris and did a DEUG de LEA (foreign languages) at the Sorbonne and a higher national diploma in International Trade. She speaks several languages including English, French, German.

Michele is the R&D Manager of EMA - Europea Microfusioni Aerospaziali Spa, part of Rolls-Royce plc, a world-class precision investment castings foundry, that produces Turbine Blades, Vanes and Components for the engines turbines in aerospace and energy markets. 53-years-old, Michele holds a master's degree in physics from Bari University and a Master in Material Science from University Institute of Higher Studies - IUSS - Pavia University Prior to joining EMA in 2004, Michele worked since 1996 as a product and process engineer and in R&D, in Hi-Tech companies, mainly in the semiconductor sector In EMA he has managed 10 funded R&D projects also in partnership with other companies and universities, also managing and coordinating all scientific collaborations with Universities, Public Research Institutions, Companies and Research Organizations. Focal point of EMA for the Italian Association of Industrial Research (AIRI) and member of the Technical Committee for Energy Materials of the Italian Association of Metallurgy (AIM). Co-author of 16 scientific publications, of which 4 as co-author of sectoral scientific dissemination texts. N°1 international patent, PCT/IT2016/000029

Carlos Olabe is the current CEO of the European Investment Casters Federation [EICF], serving this position since the end of 2014. Mr. Olabe has been linked to the aerospace industry for a period over 20 years. He served as Programmes Director of the Engine company of Spain (ITP) managing engine programmes such as EJ200, Trent 700, Trent 800, Trent 500, Trent 900 and as CEO of PCB, during 10 years. A brand new world class investment casting Company in Spain which he took the mission to create and project internationally. During this period Mr. Olabe was member of the Board of Directors of the EICF , being Chairman of the Federation for a period of 4 years supporting an interesting period of revitalization of the EICF and contributing personally to the establishment of the global circuit..... America / Europe / Far East for the celebrations of the IC World Conferences. Mr. Olabe background is an Engineer specialized in electricity and energy where he has devoted another 15 years of his profesional life in key managerial positions with experience in the field of nuclear equipments and lately renewables Mr. Olabe is a believer in cooperation and innovation as elements that enhance operations and achievements of organizations.