About

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION THROUGH GLOBAL STANDARDS

FieldComm Group began operations on January 1, 2015 by combining all assets of the former Fieldbus Foundation and HART Communication Foundation.

FieldComm Group is a global standards-based non-profit member organization consisting of leading process end users, manufacturers, universities and research organizations that work together to direct the development, incorporation and implementation of communication technologies for the process industries. Membership is open to anyone interested in the use of the technologies. In addition to HART and FOUNDATION Fieldbus communication technologies, FieldComm Group is responsible for ongoing development of Field Device Integration (FDI), PA-DIM® and Ethernet-APL technologies.

The establishment of the FieldComm Group allows developers of digital open standards to better collaborate on new and existing technologies and to increase market share of digital field devices in the total device market.

MISSION

Develop, manage, and promote global standards for integrating digital devices to on-site, mobile, and cloud based systems
Provide services for standards conformance and implementation of process automation devices and systems that enable and improve reliability and multi-vendor interoperability
Lead the development of a unified information model of process automation field devices (PA-DIM®) and Ethernet-APL while building upon industry investment in the HART®, FOUNDATION™ Fieldbus and FDI™ standards

Management

TED MASTERS

PRESIDENT AND CEO

Ted Masters has held leadership roles in a wide variety of technology companies supporting the process industry for over 30 years. He has experience in managing the growth and delivery of products, software and service solutions to industrial markets. His career has been centered around the conversion of operational data into actionable intelligence and helping users make better decisions to capture the value by integration into business systems and processes.

WALLY PRATT

DIRECTOR – FIELD COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS

Wally Pratt is a Director of HART Technology at FieldComm Group. He has over 35 years experience designing, developing and supporting embedded real-time systems, digital signal processing, continuous and batching controls, process and environmental instrumentation and digital communications protocols and systems. He was the technical lead for the development and introduction of C8PSK Physical Layer ("High Speed HART"), WirelessHART, and HART-IP. Mr. Pratt is the architect of the HART and WirelessHART Test Systems. He joined the HART Communication Foundation (now FieldComm Group) in 1994.

STEPHEN MITSCHKE

DIRECTOR – STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT & TECHNICAL SERVICES

As Programs Director, Stephen is responsible for organizing FieldComm Group’s technology portfolio under a consistent set of policies and procedures to deliver leading edge technologies and innovations for the automation industry. He has extensive background in information system planning, technology development, software engineering and conformity assessment programs. Throughout his career he has worked with international standard bodies and standard setting organizations to create collaborative environments that deliver high quality, market relevant standards. With over 20 years of experience in design, development and deployment of FOUNDATION Fieldbus, he is responsible for its ongoing standardization, conformance and interoperability test programs. Stephen holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin,TX.

SEAN VINCENT

DIRECTOR – TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS

Sean Vincent is Director of Technical Services with responsibility for tool and technology program development. His experience includes HART, FOUNDATION Fieldbus and FDI technology related projects as a product developer, test engineer, field application engineer and technical trainer. Throughout his career Sean has designed, developed and supported embedded real-time systems as well as implementing various digital communications protocols and control systems. He administered successful product registration programs for the former Fieldbus Foundation and HART Communication Foundation. Sean is committed to improving the technologies, tools and service of the FieldComm Group.

PAUL SEREIKO

DIRECTOR - MARKETING AND PRODUCT STRATEGY

Paul Sereiko is responsible for guiding worldwide marketing efforts to increase the adoption of FieldComm Group digital automation technologies and solutions in plant environments across the world. He has over 40 years of experience, including 10 years of CXO level experience, in the Telecommunications, Personal Computing, Embedded Software, Wireless Communications, and Automation industries. Paul has a BS in computer engineering from the University of Illinois and an MBA in marketing and finance from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management.

Board

Chairman of the Board

Thoralf Schulz

Global Technology Manager Control Technologies in Process Automation - ABB

Mr. Schulz is Global Technology Manager Control Technologies in Process Automation and is responsible for Technology Strategy and Product Development in ABB’s Control Technologies business. He has more than 20 years of experience in the process automation and process industry. Mr. Schulz holds master's degrees in Electrical Engineering and Business Administration.

Taro Sento

General Manager of Industrial Automation Products Business - Azbil Corporation

Mr. Sento is the General Manager of Industrial Automation Products Business at Azbil Corporation. He is responsible for management of Industrial Automation Products Business, including sales, marketing and business planning. He has over 30 years of experience in industrial automation and has a high level of expertise in marketing and strategic business planning.

Franz Durmeier

Head of Digital Integration - Endress+Hauser Process Solutions AG

Mr. Franz Durmeier is the Head of Digital Integration for Endress+Hauser. His industry expertise in industrial marketing and strategic planning has led his team to improve standardized technology solutions focused on device integration using FDT and FDI, enhancing customer workflows in process automation. His holistic understanding stems from engaging with customers, gathering feedback, and aligning offerings with industry needs. He has successfully developed and communicated innovative visions, driving their implementation. He is committed to contributing to the FieldComm Group's mission of simplifying process automation through open standards.

Steve Armstrong

Vice Present of Plantweb Technology  - Emerson

Mr. Armstrong is currently Vice Present of Plantweb Technology at Emerson. He has been in the automation business and with Fisher / Emerson for more than 45 years. He has held various engineering and management positions and led development programs such as AMS Device Manager and field communicators for the management of field instrumentation using the HART and FOUNDATION Fieldbus protocols.

In his present role Mr. Armstrong leads a global technology team that works across all the Emerson business units to help get new products to market. Team members in Mr. Armstrong’s organization are actively involved with organizations such as FCG and in the development of industry standards such as FDI.

Yugo Sunaga

Senior Manager of Control Technology Development Department - Fuji Electric Co., Ltd., Japan

Mr. Sunaga is Senior Manager of Control Technology Development Department for Fuji Electric Co., Ltd., Japan. He is responsible for developing, planning and Quality Assurance at Fuji’s Industrial and Instrumentation Systems and Equipment. He has over 25 years of experience in industrial automation and Control network systems and has high expertise in the development of network protocols and the systems.

Raj Bandekar

Director of Engineering - Honeywell Process Solutions

Mr. Bandekar is the Engineering Director in Technology Organization at Honeywell Process Solutions. He is responsible for Systems Engineering and Common Platform for New Product Development in Experion PKS Automation System. Mr. Bandekar has over 25 years of experience in System Architecture and Design of several products in Digital Field, Distributed Control System and Asset Management and has been awarded over 8 patents.

Lutz Liebers

President, Process Automation Division - Pepperl+Fuchs

Lutz Liebers has a master’s degree in Industrial Electronics (Dipl.-Ing.) from a university in Görlitz, Germany and has over 25 years of experience in Instrumentation and Process Automation industries. He started his career with Numerik where he led a group of engineers responsible for PLC equipment testing. In 1989 Mr. Liebers joined Pepperl+Fuchs as Sales Engineer and was very successful at building up the Eastern German Sales Organization. In 1997 he became responsible for Project Pursuit activities. In 2003 he was promoted to Director Global Projects and Global Account Management. He was also responsible for the Project and Key Account activities as well as Business Development Management and Global Technical Support. In January of 2015 Mr. Liebers was promoted to the position of President of the Process Automation Division at Pepperl+Fuchs.

Shannon Foos

Segment Manager for Process Automation Networks, Integration and Asset Management - Rockwell Automation

Ms. Foos is Segment Manager for Process Automation Networks, Integration and Asset Management and is responsible for Rockwell Automation's strategies and product development in those areas. She has more than 20 years of experience in the process industry and has held positions with automation system providers in implementation, consulting, marketing, product management and strategy. Ms. Foos is a degreed Chemical Engineer and a registered Professional Engineer in Control Systems with the state of Ohio.

Patrick Lamboley

Senior Director, Standardization - Schneider Electric

Dr. Lamboley is the Director of the Standardization and Interoperability of the Industrial Automation Business Unit at Schneider Electric, located in Paris, France. As a member of the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) team, he overseas product development and innovation projects at Schneider Electric.

Dr. Lamboley holds a PhD in Production Systems from Research Center for Automatic Control in Nancy, France and has over 25 years of experience in Industrial Automation, including 10 years with standardization bodies. Dr. Lamboley has been with Schneider Electric for 25 years.

Hartmut Klocker

Vice President Measurement Intelligence – Siemens AG

Mr. Klocker is the General Manager of the business with process instruments and analytical devices based in Karlsruhe, Germany. He has more than 25 years of experience in project management for the chemical industry and in the automation products and solutions business.

Seiichiro Takahashi

General Manager, Technology Marketing - Yokogawa Electric Corporation

Mr. Seiichiro Takahashi is a General Manager for Technology Marketing at Yokogawa Electric Corporation, with main focus on field network technologies in process automation. He has more than 30 years of experience in the process automation and field digital communication technologies, which includes management of field instrument and architecture development.

Global Marketing

BERNHARD GUT

REGIONAL MARKETING DIRECTOR, EUROPE

Mr. Gut started his business career at Endress + Hauser. From 1979 to 1995, he held the position of Product Manager at the Research & Development and Marketing department. Then he was the Project Manager for national and international projects. From 2005 to 2014, Mr. Gut was the head of various departments relating to process automation solutions until he assumed the leading responsibility as the Head of Electrical Engineering in 2014.

HIROYUKI TSUGANE

REGIONAL MARKETING DIRECTOR, ASIA PACIFIC

Mr. Hiroyuki Tsugane has over 40 years of experience in the field of process automation, including plant maintenance, construction and operation improvements. He was engaged in many leading roles throughout his career, with the latest one being the leading project manager of Digital Field Solution at Azbil Corporation where he worked on business development for HART and FOUNDATION Fieldbus solutions. Mr. Tsugane holds a degree in Engineering from Keio University.

DR. MINHUI WU

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING, CHINA

Dr. Minhui Wu started developing FieldComm Group China business 5 years ago as director of HART Communication Foundation - China. Before joining FieldComm Group, he worked for Autodesk, an U.S.A. based design software company and Qihoo 360, a China based internet security company. Dr. Wu holds Bachelor's Degree in Automatic Control and Ph.D in Artificial Intelligence.

MOHAMMED (MO) LOCH

REGIONAL DIRECTOR, MIDDLE EAST

Mohammed (Mo) Loch is the President & CEO of DMS Global which reports on energy related projects around the world through their online project database known as the DMS Project Matrix. Mo is also the Director Industry Relations for the International Society of Automation (ISA) as well as the Partner Middle East, Africa & South East Asia for the ARC Advisory. He also serves as the Regional Director Middle East for the Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association (MESA) and is the Director Market Intelligence for the Bilateral US-Arab Chamber of Commerce.

As the FieldComm Group Regional Director for Middle East, Mr. Loch is handling the development and execution of regional marketing strategies and plans and building support for their activities using ambassadors in each country to develop and host localized education and training events aimed at users and suppliers for FOUNDATION Fieldbus, HART, WirelessHART and FDI technologies.

Governing Documents

ORGANIZATIONAL DOCUMENTS

Articles of Incorporation Bylaws

MEMBER POLICIES

Working Group Policy Technical Development Policy Antitrust Policy Software Supplier Security Requirements

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND OTHER POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

IP Policy > IPR Disclosure Notification Intellectual Property Rights List

FieldComm Group

The FieldComm Group is headquartered in beautiful Austin, Texas the live music capital of the USA. We are supported globally through a network of regional marketing directors and member company volunteers.

9430 Research Blvd, Echelon 1

Suite 1-120

AUSTIN, TX 78759

UNITED STATES

(512) 792-2300

info@fieldcommgroup.org