The chief executive is leaving for “private reasons”, the company says, but willstay on until a successor has been announced. No date has been set for thehandover.

Since taking the reins at the Swiss-Swedish industrialgiant in September 2008, Hogan, an American and a veteran of GE’s medical,automation and plastics divisions, has overseen $20bn of investment toABB’s sprawling business empire – much of it with deep implications for thefuture of renewable energy.

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