Shiga

CRANBERRY TWP — Shigenori Shiga has been named chairman of Westinghouse Electric, replacing Steve Tritch, who retired Thursday, according to a company news release on Friday.

Shiga has been senior vice president and chief coordination officer for Westinghouse since 2006. He also is executive vice president of Toshiba's Power Systems.

Toshiba owns Westinghouse.

He will assume his new role immediately, and his primary responsibilities will be to provide strategic oversight and supervision of the Westinghouse board of directors.

Tritch said in the release, "I applaud Shigenori Shiga's appointment. He has been intimately involved with Westinghouse operations since Toshiba Corp. became majority owner in late 2006 and is thoroughly familiar with our goals and strategies.

"As the nuclear renaissance advances on the global scale, Mr. Shiga's appointment as chairman will further reinforce the links and synergies between Westinghouse and Toshiba."

Aris S. Candris, president and CEO, said in the release, "As chairman, Shigenori Shiga will bring balance and provide stability within our senior management team, and further reinforce our ability to act in concert with Toshiba."

Replacing Shiga as chief coordination officer will be Tetsuya Noda, who most recently was vice president in the coordination division.

Westinghouse last year began moving its headquarters to Cranberry Township from Monroeville, Allegheny County.

The company expects to have up to 5,000 employees at its complex in the Cranberry Woods business park when all of its offices are complete.

Westinghouse is a top nuclear energy company and is a leading supplier of nuclear plant products and technologies to utilities worldwide.

Its technology is the basis for about half of the world's operating nuclear plants, including 60 percent of those in the U.S.