Caterpillar announced that Group President Rob Charter is retiring “following a distinguished career spanning nearly 30 years with the company.”

Charter has been a group president of Customer & Dealer Support since 2015.

“During his three decades with Caterpillar, Rob has built a reputation for his focus and unwavering commitment to helping our customers succeed,” says Caterpillar CEO Jim Umpleby.

“Rob’s global perspective – he’s held positions in Asia, Latin America, the United States and in his home country of Australia – is just one reason he’s a valuable member of our executive leadership team. Rob is also known within the company for his passion for developing and mentoring Caterpillar employees around the globe. We wish him a long and happy retirement.”

Charter’s retirement takes effect June 1. The company expects to announce a replacement in the near future.

“I’ve had an extraordinary career and am grateful for the opportunity to have served our customers for the past three decades,” he says in a press release.

“I’m honored to have led some remarkable teams. And, over two-thirds of my time at Caterpillar was spent working alongside what I still believe is one of the company’s greatest competitive advantages – our dealer network. My wife, Tammy, and I look forward to returning home to Australia and spending more time with our family.

Charter joined Caterpillar in 1989 as a development engineer in Melbourne, Australia.

Early in his career, he worked in service training, machine sales and service, mining product support, manufacturing, construction, quarry and forestry, and he was also a district manager in Australia.

He went on to become Caterpillar’s Asia Pacific Division in Tokyo as product manager. In 2005, he was appointed southern region manager in Caterpillar’s Latin America Division, a position he held until 2008 when the Caterpillar board of directors named Charter vice president of the Asia Pacific Distribution Services Division. He held this position until January 2013 when he was appointed as vice president of the Excavation Division.

Charter then became a group president and a member of Caterpillar’s executive office in 2015. He  holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Ballarat University in Victoria, Australia, and has completed the Stanford University Executive Program.