Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, May 2025 – Ellen Whittingham has been appointed as Vice President Strategic Talent Enablement at Kennametal, a global industrial technology leader. In her new role, Ellen will focus on advancing global talent strategies, leadership development, and organizational effectiveness initiatives to support business transformation and sustainable growth across the organization.
Ellen has been with Kennametal for over three years and previously served as Global Senior Director, Talent & Organizational Effectiveness. In that role, she spearheaded high-impact initiatives in talent strategy, succession planning, executive coaching, and culture change. Her contributions significantly enhanced the company’s leadership development and global talent pipeline.
Prior to joining Kennametal, Ellen spent more than six years at Matthews International, where she held several leadership positions including Global Director, Talent & Organizational Effectiveness. She was instrumental in developing and executing a comprehensive talent and organizational development strategy, with oversight of Talent Acquisition, Talent Development, and Organizational Effectiveness functions. She also played a key role in enabling leadership capability during periods of organizational transformation.
Ellen also held senior roles at Carmeuse North America, where she served as Vice President, Organizational Excellence and Senior Director, Business Effectiveness & Talent Management. Across both roles, she led workforce planning, leadership development programs, and continuous improvement strategies. Her efforts in aligning people, processes, and technology helped drive operational excellence and strategic workforce initiatives.
Earlier in her career, Ellen held various positions in quality, continuous improvement, and regulatory affairs across leading companies including The Kraft Heinz Company, Domtar, BOC Gases, and Genpharm Inc.. She consistently demonstrated expertise in integrating quality systems, leading Lean initiatives, and championing change management across cross-functional teams in complex environments.
About Kennametal
Kennametal Inc. has been a pioneer in advanced materials innovation for more than 75 years, offering cutting-edge solutions in tooling and wear-resistance across industries such as aerospace, energy, earthworks, and transportation. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the company is recognized globally for its precision manufacturing capabilities and commitment to sustainability and operational excellence. With a strong emphasis on innovation and talent development, Kennametal has earned accolades including Inc.’s Best-Led Companies List and Newsweek’s Most Res
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