Following ABB`s widely publicised recent financial problems, the organisation is slimming itself down and regrouping. In future, it will consist of two key divisions: power technologies, which combines the former utilities and power technology products divisions, and automation technologies, which brings together the former automation technology products and industries divisions.

The new automation technologies operation will be led by 44-year-old Dinesh Paliwal, former head of the industries division, who has been with ABB since 1985. The division will employ 63,000 people and have sales of $9.3bn, making it one of the world`s largest automation companies.