GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Sept. 1, 2025 -- Ascential Technologies, a leading global provider of automated diagnostic, inspection, assembly, and test systems and services across a wide range of industries, has appointed Zhigang "Manfred" Zhuang as senior vice president of Transportation for the Asian Pacific region (APAC). Zhuang is succeeding Tony Wu, who recently retired from his role as managing director of Transportation for APAC. In this position, Zhuang will play an integral role in accelerating growth in the Asian markets and strengthening the company's partnerships regionally.

Zhuang will be leading Ascential Technologies' Transportation business operations under the company's flagship automotive brand, Burke Porter. With over three decades of leadership experience in manufacturing and industrial sectors, including extensive experience in automotive, he has a proven track record of driving strategic growth, operational excellence and international expansion. Additionally, he has extensive expertise in managing R&D activities for engineered products and capital equipment.

"We thank Tony for his years of service to the company and wish him well. And, with this transition, we continue to be excited for the future. Manfred's manufacturing experience and his ability to build high-performing teams, coupled with his entrepreneurial mindset, perfectly position him to take us to the next level," said Uwe Krueger, executive vice president, Transportation. "We are very pleased to have him with us."

Zhuang's experience includes years of leadership roles within the automotive industry. Recently, he was instrumental in the management of multiple Chinese plants. In this role he oversaw the managing directors for sales, project management, R&D and safety, as well as plant general managers and other supporting functions including finance, human resources and purchasing. In his new position at Ascential Technologies, Manfred will also draw on his deep expertise in global leadership and building commercial relationships from his successful work at leading international automotive companies, such as ThyssenKrupp, Joyson Group, Grammer AG and Brose.

Zhuang is fluent in English, Chinese, Japanese and German. His formal education includes a bachelor's degree in mechanical automation and robot engineering from Shanghai University of Technology, and a Fudan-MIT International MBA offered jointly by the Fudan University School of Management in Shanghai and the MIT Sloan School of Management.

About Ascential Technologies

Ascential Technologies, (formerly known as Burke Porter Group), designs, develops, and automates complex diagnostics, inspection and test processes across medical & life sciences, transportation, and test & measurement systems end markets. The company tackles customers' most demanding, mission-critical challenges where the cost of failure is high. With more than 70 years of innovation experience, Ascential has a global presence and the expertise of more than 2,300 professionals across 40 locations, helping customers accelerate critical solution innovation, mitigate risk, drive competitive differentiation, and shorten time to market, at scale. The company's uniqueness lies in its commitment to guiding customers through the entire product life cycle, from ideation to commercialization, where quality and safety matter most. Ascential's customers include Fortune 100 leaders and disruptive innovators. Learn more at www.ascentialtech.com. 

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Editorial Contacts

Agency:

Brittney Popa   

MBE Group on behalf of Ascential Technologies

(231) 675-1692

bpopa@mbe.group

Mike Bleau

Industry Scope on behalf of Ascential Technologies

(810) 397-1429

mbleau@industry-scope.com

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