Asier Ipiñazar Epalza

I join Amenabar, a company specialized in the design, development, and manufacturing of industrial lifting solutions with more than 60 years of experience. Internationally recognized for its expertise in hoists, chains, and lifting systems, Amenabar combines innovation, in-house engineering, and advanced manufacturing capabilities to deliver reliable solutions for highly demanding industrial environments. With a strong international presence, the company develops solutions for sectors including wind energy, heavy industry, and custom lifting projects. Its continued growth is built on engineering excellence, quality, and continuous improvement, reinforcing a value proposition focused on efficiency, reliability, and industrial technology. As CEO, my purpose is to help Amenabar keep growing, strengthen its global footprint, and continue building on its engineering legacy by driving innovation, expanding its reach, and reinforcing its position as a trusted industrial partner worldwide.

As part of the steering committee reporting directly to the CEO, I served as Operational Transformation Manager at Protec Arisawa, leading strategic transformation initiatives focused on operational excellence, sustainable growth, and organizational performance. I managed cross-functional teams and drove improvements across processes, technology integration, product innovation, and quality standards, always aligning execution with the company’s long-term business objectives. During this period, I played a key role in strengthening operational efficiency and supporting the company’s competitive position in an increasingly demanding global market. In 2025, Protec Arisawa achieved a record turnover, increasing revenue by 15% compared to 2024. I also led and coordinated the achievement of several critical product certifications, essential to ensuring business sustainability, market continuity, and future growth opportunities. Throughout my tenure, I promoted a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement, ensuring that transformation initiatives delivered measurable and lasting impact.

Protec-Arisawa is a global reference in the design and manufacturing of FRP housings for reverse osmosis systems, with a strong presence across Europe, the Americas, and Asia. I joined the company during a decisive phase of expansion, with the mandate to steer sustainable industrial growth, strengthen operational performance, expand production capabilities and lead an organizational transformation that supported its long-term vision. As R&D Manager, reporting directly to the CEO, I focused on aligning the R&D function with strategic priorities, driving technological innovation and upholding rigorous standards in quality, safety and efficiency. Through the refinement of processes and the development of advanced solutions, I helped reinforce the company’s competitiveness in an increasingly demanding global market.

Leading the cultural transformation of the plant into a High Performing Organization, cultivating emotional intelligence across the workforce, inspiring employees to push beyond their comfort zones, and empowering them to drive the company’s global vision. Key achievements: > Net Structural Savings: €5M in YoY > Employee engagement survey, measuring organizational culture: 45% of increase in 5 years > Total Incident Rate (TIR) below 0.5 > Implementing autonomous maintenance practices across the entire plant.

Responsible for standardizing, optimizing, and improving the company’s onboarding processes across multiple countries and cultures in EMEA. Key achievement: Lead the digitalization of operator and maintencae technicians training, implementing cutting-edge solutions such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and both digital and physical twins. This new system enhanced efficiency and learning impact while generating over €7M in training cost savings.

As Operational Department Manager, accountable of business results of the department (Safety, Quality, Environment, Cost, Delivery & People) Oct 2013 - Oct 2016: Tubing & Callendering department. Direct report: 120 people Feb 2010 - Oct 2013: Scheduling department. Direct report: 6 engineers Nov 2006 - Feb 2010: Final Inspection department. Direct report: 70 people

Lean manufacturing Engineer

Solid business education with a practical and flexible approach. Global business perspective, fostering strategic decision-making and effective leadership in complex environments.

I dedicated my thesis to the study of organizational culture transformation and its role in building high-performance organizations. The outcome was the development of a model that places people at the center and helps companies adapt and evolve sustainably. The research shows that a well-designed cultural transformation not only improves the work environment but also boosts key performance indicators and strengthens long-term competitiveness.