Caterpillar’s board of directors elected Denise Johnson, currently vice president of Material Handling & Underground Division, as group president of Resources Industries. The appointment follows the recently announced retirement of Group President Ed Rapp.

“Denise leads one of the largest and most complex businesses in the company. Her division makes products primarily for the mining, waste and construction industries and employs about 8,000 people in 14 locations spanning four continents. She has successfully managed costs during the mining downturn and been deeply involved in restructuring within Resource Industries, all while gaining market position for multiple products in her portfolio. Denise has accomplished these business results while also delivering outstanding safety and quality metrics,” said Doug Oberhelman, Caterpillar chairman and CEO. “Above all, Denise is a leader inside and outside of Caterpillar. Whether she’s engaging with employees, strengthening relationships with key mining customers or serving as a strong role model to recruit more female engineers, Denise consistently excels.”

Johnson joined Caterpillar in 2011 as the general manager of Caterpillar’s Specialty Products business unit where she had responsibility for nearly 20 facilities around the world. She has also served as vice president of the Diversified Products and Integrated Manufacturing Operations divisions for Caterpillar. She came to Caterpillar after a 22-year career with General Motors.