R. B. (Rob) Charter is vice president of Caterpillar’s Excavation Division. Charter has worldwide, end-to-end responsibility for track and wheeled hydraulic excavators.

Charter joined Caterpillar in 1989 as a development engineer in Melbourne, Australia, his native country. He has extensive experience in service training, machine product, machine sales and service, mining product support, manufacturing, projects, construction, quarry and forestry. Charter served his last assignment in Australia as district manager.

Charter's next leadership position was with Caterpillar’s Asia Pacific Division in Tokyo, Japan, as product manager - Wheel Loader, Off-Highway Trucks & Building Construction Products for emerging markets. In 2005, he was appointed southern region manager in Caterpillar’s Latin America Division, a position he held until 2008.

In 2008, the Caterpillar Board of Directors named Charter to vice president of the Asia Pacific Distribution Services Division. He held this position until January 2013 when he was appointed as the vice president of the Excavation Division.

Charter holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Ballarat University in Victoria, Australia, and has completed the Stanford University Executive Program.

About Caterpillar:
For more than 85 years, Caterpillar Inc. has been making sustainable progress possible and driving positive change on every continent. With 2012 sales and revenues of $65.875 billion, Caterpillar is the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. The company also is a leading services provider through Caterpillar Financial Services, Caterpillar Remanufacturing Services and Progress Rail Services. More information is available at: http://www.caterpillar.com.