TRIS Has New Chief Operating Officer

TÜV Rheinland Industrial Solutions (TRIS; Boxborough, MA), a full-service inspection, testing and certification company, has appointed Robert C. Burns as the chief operating officer. In his new role, Burns will report directly to the chief regional officer and will be responsible for all operational aspects of the company, including staff management and profit and loss accountability.

Burns comes to the company with more than 20 years of experience in growing businesses through strategic planning, development and operations. He is well-versed in key functional departments, from customer service to finance, and specializes in testing and inspection services for major oil and pipeline companies.

In his numerous senior executive management roles at Fortune 500, startup and private equity firms, Burns consistently exceeded goals of achieving profitable business growth. His particular areas of expertise include mergers, acquisitions and business integration, as well as managing accelerated organic growth.

Prior to joining TÜV Rheinland, Burns served as the president and chief executive officer of Applus RTD USA (Houston, TX), where he managed the non-destructive testing and inspection company’s operations and directed the asset integrity management services to major oil and pipeline companies.

Burns was the resident and chief operating officer of PetroChem Inspection Services, Inc. (Houston, TX). In addition, he was the vice president and general manager of HMT Inspection and Engineering Services.

“Burns’ impressive track record of helping companies achieve their full potential and take a lead in the markets, combined with a deep understanding of industrial inspection services, makes him a perfect addition to our team,” said Gerhard Luebken, TÜV Rheinland’s chief regional officer. “We are confident that his leadership and business management skills will help guide us to the forefront of the industrial inspection services scene.”

Burns holds a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree in Accounting from the University of Texas at Austin. He is a frequent speaker with the American Petroleum Institute, the National Petrochemical and Refiners Association, and the Independent Liquid Terminals Association.

TRIS is a comprehensive resource for a variety of advanced NDT services. It provides both field and laboratory inspection services, including all NDT methods, QC/QA functions, proof loading, calibrations, tensile testing, compression, shear testing and slow bend testing.

www.tuv.com/us