LATROBE, Pa., May 31, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Kennametal Inc. (NYSE: KMT) announced today that Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Carlos Cardoso has been elected Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation (MAPI), a leading business research and executive education organization. Cardoso will serve a two-year term with the Arlington, Va.-based organization, which has acted on behalf of manufacturing interests since 1933.

"We are proud that Carlos has accepted this important role with MAPI," said Stephen Gold, MAPI President and CEO. "He is a national leader on manufacturing issues and is a widely respected industry spokesperson. Carlos has keen insight on the challenges facing the sector, leads with passion, and possesses an exceptional vision for the future of U.S. manufacturing.  We look forward to his leadership."

"Manufacturing is a driving force in today's economy and I look forward to leading the MAPI organization in finding innovative ways to promote the industry, initiate solutions and transform the image of manufacturing in the U.S.," commented Carlos Cardoso, Kennametal Chairman, President and CEO.

Mr. Cardoso joined Kennametal in 2003 and has more than 25 years of experience in management spanning manufacturing, engineering, quality control, operations, sales and marketing. In addition, he has an extensive global background having lived and worked on three continents.

He is a member of The Stanley Black & Decker Board of Directors and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) Board of Directors. Additionally, he is the co-chair of the Pennsylvania Governor's Manufacturing Council, a Team Pennsylvania Foundation-led initiative, helping to identify and prioritize top issues to influence, sustain and advance manufacturing in the commonwealth. Mr. Cardoso also serves on the Fairfield University Charles F. Dolan School of Business Advisory Council, the board of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development and the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute Council. 

Mr. Cardoso holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut, a master's degree in management from the Hartford Graduate Center and an honorary doctor of humane letters degree from Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Mr. Cardoso is a certified Six Sigma and Lean Green Belt. 

Kennametal Inc. (NYSE: KMT) delivers productivity to customers seeking peak performance in demanding environments by providing innovative custom and standard wear-resistant solutions. This proven productivity is enabled through our advanced materials sciences and application knowledge. Our commitment to a sustainable environment provides additional value to our customers. Companies operating in everything from airframes to coal mining, from engines to oil wells and from turbochargers to construction recognize Kennametal for extraordinary contributions to their value chains. In fiscal year 2011, customers bought approximately $2.4 billion of Kennametal products and services – delivered by approximately 12,000 talented employees doing business in more than 60 countries – with more than 50 percent of these revenues coming from outside North America. Visit us at www.kennametal.com.

SOURCE Kennametal Inc.