Schneider Electric, the leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, is pleased to announce the appointment of Kobus Vermeulen as its new Direct Sales Executive, Process Automation. Vermeulen’s predecessor, Hennie Colyn has joined Schneider Electric’s Mining, Mineral and Metals segment team.

With over two decades of experience in the field of Distributed Control Systems (DCS) and instrumentation, he brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his new role.

Vermeulen will be responsible for Schneider Electric’s procession automation business in the SADC region which includes countries such as South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Mozambique. 

In his new role, Vermeulen aims to, among others, strengthen the Schneider Electric Foxboro brand in the SADC region. "My goal is to solidify Foxboro’s value proposition in the marketplace and ensure that our DCS (distributed control systems) and instrumentation offerings receive the exposure it deserves," he says.

Vermeulen’s journey into the world of process automation began in 2002 when he joined the then sole distributor of Foxboro DCS and Instrumentation in Sub-Sahara. Since then, he has been a key figure in the process automation marketplace, establishing strong relationships across industry. 

"Working closely with Foxboro clientele in Southern Africa and beyond prepared me for the role I now find myself in. Service delivery and customer satisfaction have always been at the heart of my work, making this transition into my new role a very natural progression,” he says.

Over the years, Vermeulen notes, he has witnessed significant changes in the industry, particularly the convergence of Operational Technology (OT) and Information Technology (IT), bringing new challenges such as cybersecurity to the forefront of the DCS realm.

Vermeulen holds a BTech Degree in Instrumentation from UNISA.