10 ESAB engineering leaders
Peter Burchfield, Vice President, Global Products at ESAB Corporation, is one of ten ESAB engineering leaders listed here, alongside a vice president of global R&D and people who hold or have held director of engineering, global R&D director and technical director roles at the company. A reader can learn how engineering leaders work at ESAB from people who have held the role.
Professionals to explore
Azfar Kamal - Ph.D. PMP 6S-BlackBelt
LinkedInExperience: Director Global R&D (USA, Germany, Asia) - PPE, Torches, HIP Plasma, Gouging & Accessories · ESAB
Azfar Kamal is a former Director Global R&D (USA, Germany, Asia) - PPE, Torches, HIP Plasma, Gouging & Accessories at ESAB, a role held from February 2019 to June 2026. Azfar Kamal was Head PMO & Product Portfolio Management, Director Global R&D - Innovation & Strategy at ESAB from 2016 to 2019 and Director of Engineering - Global Gas Equipment at ESAB from 2014 to 2016, and is now Senior Engineering Manager - Modular & Liquid Cooling at Modine Manufacturing Company.
Carlos Padilla
LinkedInExperience: Director of Engineering · Esab Welding and Cutting
Carlos Padilla is a former Director of Engineering at Esab Welding and Cutting, a role held from May 2002 to October 2003, supervising four North American engineering groups across process improvement, new equipment CapEx and cost reductions. Carlos Padilla was Plant Manager Ashtabula at ESAB Welding and Cutting from 2000 to 2002 and has been Owner at Welding & Wire Consulting since 2004.
Dr Paramasivam Shanmugam
LinkedInExperience: Vice President - Global R&D · ESAB
Dr Paramasivam Shanmugam has been Vice President - Global R&D at ESAB since December 2025, based in Chennai, India. At ESAB Dr Paramasivam Shanmugam was also General Manager R&D Head R&D from 2023 to 2025 and Dy General Manager R&D from 2019 to 2023, and was Sr.R&D Manager IDC at Danfoss Drives from 2011 to 2019.
Eric Xi
LinkedInExperience: Global LIP R&D Director & North Asia Product Director · ESAB
Eric Xi has been Global LIP R&D Director & North Asia Product Director at ESAB since January 2022, based in Ningbo, China. Eric Xi was Head Of R&D China at ESAB from 2017 to 2021 and Engineering Manager at ESAB from 2012 to 2017, and was IPT leader at Siemens from 2010 to 2012 and Project Manager at Flenco from 2005 to 2010.
Ernest Jan
LinkedInExperience: Technical Director · ESAB
Ernest Jan is a former Technical Director at ESAB, a role held from January 2010 to December 2021, and was R&D Manager at ESAB from 2021 to 2024. Ernest Jan was Technical manager at ESAB Welding Products (Weihai) Co., Ltd from 2008 to 2009 and Senior Research Engineer at ESAB Welding and Cutting Products from 1991 to 2008.
Kevin Horner-Richardson
LinkedInExperience: Director of Engineering -Plasma Process · ESAB Welding and Cutting Products
Kevin Horner-Richardson has been Director of Engineering -Plasma Process at ESAB Welding and Cutting Products since April 2014, based in Cornish, New Hampshire, and also lists the title Director of Engineering Technology Development at Victor Techologies (formerly Thermadyne ) since 2012. Kevin Horner-Richardson was Director of Engineering at VICTOR® an ESAB Brand from 2008 to 2012 and Plasma Torch Design Engineer at Thermal Dynamics Corp from 1996 to 2006.
Martin Rembeck
LinkedInExperience: Director, Global Automation R&D · ESAB
Martin Rembeck has been Director, Global Automation R&D at ESAB since January 2024, based in Gothenburg, Sweden, and describes leading an R&D organization through a major strategic change initiative. Martin Rembeck was Head of Global Robotic R&D, Manager at ESAB from 2022 to 2024 and Acting R&D Site Manager | Project Office & System Integration Manager at ESAB from 2020 to 2022.
Peter Burchfield
LinkedInExperience: Vice President, Global Products · ESAB Corporation
Peter Burchfield has been Vice President, Global Products at ESAB Corporation since September 2025, based in Steinhausen, Switzerland, leading Global Product Management, R&D and Marcom. Peter Burchfield was General Manager - Global Equipment Solutions Group at ESAB Corporation from 2023 to 2025 and Global Director - Light Industrial Equipment & PPE at ESAB Corporation from 2020 to 2023.
Ryan Lynaugh
LinkedInExperience: Director of Engineering · ESAB
Ryan Lynaugh has been Director of Engineering at ESAB since May 2023, based in West Lebanon, New Hampshire, and describes directing multi-year and short-term new product development initiatives valued at over $10M in first-year sales revenue. Ryan Lynaugh held an engineering manager role at VICTOR® an ESAB Brand from 2004 to 2023.
woong kil
LinkedInExperience: Director · ESAB
woong kil has been Director at ESAB since October 1995, based in South Korea, with the role listed in R&D, and the profile headline reads FCW R&D Leader while the About section reads Welding Engineer. The listing shows no other roles on the profile, so check the full profile for the rest of the background.
Choose the right perspective
Match the person's area, such as plasma cutting, welding equipment, automation and robotics, gas equipment, welding consumables or a region like North Asia, to the engineering question you face. Check when each person started the role to judge how recent the experience is.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01What did you focus on first when you stepped into your current engineering role?
- 02How do you coordinate product development work with the other teams it depends on?
- 03What has your own work taught you about bringing a new welding or cutting product from design to first-year sales?
Reaching ESAB engineering leaders
How can I contact one of these ESAB engineering leaders?
Pick one of the 10 people on this page and choose "Book a paid call", or describe your project to find others. You offer a fee for a 15-minute call or a written answer, Instant Expert finds the person's work email and sends the invitation, and they decide whether to accept. The list covers 4 companies, including ESAB, Esab Welding and Cutting and ESAB Welding and Cutting Products, based on profile data retrieved on October 24, 2026. Being listed here doesn't mean someone has agreed to take calls.
How much does it cost to reach ESAB engineering leaders?
You choose the offer, starting at $5 per person. The offer is what the person receives, and Instant Expert's fee is added on top, so a $100 offer costs you $125. The fee is 20% of what you pay. You're charged only when the person books the call or sends the answer.
What if they don't reply?
You pay nothing. Instant Expert sends follow-up reminders, and if the person hasn't booked or answered within 7 days, the request expires and any hold on your card is released. You can invite several of the 10 people on this list at once and cap your total spend, so you pay only for the ones who accept.
Can an AI agent ask one of these ESAB engineering leaders a question?
Yes. An agent with a USDC wallet on Base can ask one question without an Instant Expert account. It names the person, for example by the LinkedIn URL on this page, and pays per ask over x402 (HTTP 402). The person answers in writing or by voice note, and if nobody answers within 7 days, the payment goes back to the wallet automatically. Claude and ChatGPT can do the same through the Instant Expert connector: setup is at /docs/mcp for Claude and /docs/chatgpt for ChatGPT. x402 docs
About this directory
This is a professional research starting point based on business profile data retrieved on . Titles and companies reflect that source snapshot; roles marked former had ended by then. Check the linked profiles for current details. Inclusion does not imply Instant Expert membership or availability.
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