VIPAR Heavy Duty President Chris Baer has announced the appointment of Andrei Katibnikov as the organization’s director of information technology (IT). Katibnikov will be responsible for all IT solutions, including infrastructure design for VIPAR Heavy Duty and its family of companies.

Katibnikov has served in an advisory role at VIPAR Heavy Duty since 2001, helping develop and provide support for the company’s information technology infrastructure. Prior to 2001, he worked on projects with VIPAR Heavy Duty to assist the organization before the move to its current headquarters in Crystal Lake, Illinois.

“Technology is driving change throughout the heavy-duty aftermarket,” said Baer. “The technology field demands knowledge, leadership, focus and discipline. Andrei is an individual who exhibits all these characteristics and we have been fortunate to work with him for many years. His knowledge of our organization is invaluable and we are pleased to bring him on board full-time to lead our IT efforts.”

Katibnikov has more than 20 years of experience in the information technology field, including as a senior systems engineer and chief information officer.