Gerard R. Vittecoq is a group president of Caterpillar Inc. in Peoria, Ill. He has responsibility for the company's Europe Africa Middle East (EAME) Operations Division, EAME Marketing Division, Marine & Petroleum Power Division, Electric Power Division and Caterpillar Production System Division. Since joining Caterpillar in 1975, Vittecoq has held various accounting and finance positions at Caterpillar's Vernon foundry in his first six years with the company. In 1982, he was appointed finance representative and later assistant manager at Caterpillar Overseas S.A. (COSA). In 1985, he became comptroller for COSA. From 1987 to 1990, he was in charge of strategy projects and was appointed director of Strategy & Planning in 1990. In 1995, he was promoted to managing director of Caterpillar France S.A. In 1997, Vittecoq became managing director of Caterpillar Belgium S.A. He was elected a vice president in January 2001, overseeing the EAME Product Development & Operations Division. In Jan. 2004, the Caterpillar Board of Directors named Vittecoq group president. Vittecoq graduated with a BA from Ecole Superieure of Commerce (Rouen, France) and received an MBA from Laval University (Canada). He also successfully completed the Executive Program in International Management at Columbia University. Vittecoq is also a certified professional accountant. Vittecoq is a member of the Foundation Board of the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), a member of the Evian Group: Free Trade Think Tank, an executive member of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and a vice president of the Board of the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce.