Parker Announces Retirement of EMEA President Joachim Guhe, Appoints Thomas Ottawa as Successor

Parker Hannifin, the global leader in motion and control technologies, today announced that Joachim Guhe, President - Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Group, will retire after 32 years of dedicated service. Mr. Guhe will step down from his current role on June 30, 2025, but continue with the company until August 31, 2025, to ensure a successful leadership transition. 

The company has appointed Thomas Ottawa, currently Vice President of Operations - Motion Systems Group Europe, to succeed Mr. Guhe as President - Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Group, effective July 1, 2025.

“In the more than three decades he spent with us, Joachim progressed from an entry level role to head of the critically important EMEA region, and then led EMEA through improvements that drove operational excellence and led to significant growth and margin expansion,” said Andy Ross, President and Chief Operating Officer. “In addition to his many contributions over the years, we thank Joachim for a career that exemplifies Parker leadership and wish him the very best in retirement.”

Mr. Guhe joined Parker in 1993 as a Product Cost Accountant in Bielefeld, Germany. He progressed through increasingly senior roles across Parker’s Fluid Connectors, Engineered Materials and Filtration Groups, including as division General Manager and Vice President of Operations. In his current role as EMEA President, he has been responsible for leading Parker’s sales companies and commercial operations in the region, as well as its HR, Finance, IT, Marketing and Supply Chain functions.

Commenting on Mr. Ottawa’s new role as President for the EMEA Region, Mr. Ross said, “Thomas will take on this important leadership role with nearly 30 years of Parker experience, a deep knowledge of our global operations and a proven record of success.” He added, “We are highly confident the EMEA region will continue to thrive under his guidance and are fortunate to have such a strong leader to drive our performance to even greater levels.” 

Mr. Ottawa joined Parker in 1995 as a Graduate Trainee with the Fluid Connectors Group Europe, where he held positions of increasing responsibility, including as division General Manager. He became General Manager of the Prädifa Technology Division in 2015. Mr. Ottawa was promoted to his current role as Vice President of Operations - Motion Systems Group EMEA in 2019 and has been instrumental in improving the group’s financial performance and driving profitable growth in the region. In his new role as EMEA President, he will oversee nearly 14,000 team members across 22 countries. He holds a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Bochum in Germany. 

About Parker Hannifin

Parker Hannifin is a Fortune 250 global leader in motion and control technologies. For more than a century, the company has been enabling engineering breakthroughs that lead to a better tomorrow.