Kennametal appoints Faisal Hamadi as president of Infrastructure
January 22, 2025

Kennametal Inc, based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, has announced that Faisal Hamadi will succeed Franklin Cardenas as president of Kennametal’s Infrastructure segment, effective January 20, 2025. In this role, Hamadi will be accountable for all aspects of the global business, including advancing strategy, driving operations and delivering profits.
“I want to thank Franklin for his years of service and many contributions to Kennametal,” stated Sanjay Chowbey, president and CEO. “We wish him success in his future endeavours and appreciate his ongoing partnership with Faisal to ensure a seamless transition.”
Hamadi is currently the Vice President, Value Creation Systems. He joined Kennametal in 2024, focused on implementing lean business systems as part of the Continuous Improvement Value Creation Pillar. Prior to joining Kennametal, Hamadi spent seventeen years at Eaton Corporation in progressive roles, including Division Finance Manager, Product Manager, Sales Manager, Plant Manager and General Manager. Most recently, he had P&L ownership as the General Manager of a $600 million aerospace business that served major airlines and OEMs globally and had more than 1,000 employees.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Michigan State and a master’s degree in finance from Johns Hopkins University.
Chowbey added, “Faisal’s diverse business experience in commercial, operations and general management will serve him well as the leader of our Infrastructure segment. He will be a critical partner in our journey to create shareholder value, and I am confident that his strategic thinking, customer focus, continuous improvement experience and collaborative approach will help us grow and improve our Infrastructure business.”
Cardenas will remain with Kennametal through April 1, 2025.