Vertiv announces new EMEA president

The vendor’s EMEA leadership transition will see Ryan succeed Karsten Winther, who retires from the role in December

A digital render of Europe, lit in blue lights against a dark map.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Digital infrastructure specialist Vertiv has announced the appointment of Paul Ryan as its new president for EMEA, starting 1 January .

Currently serving as chief procurement officer, Ryan will succeed Karsten Winther who is set to retire as EMEA chief at the end of the year. Winther will continue his current duties until December 31 to support the leadership transition, the firm said.

Since joining the business in 2018, Winther progressed from leading regional sales to heading up the EMEA arm of the business, during which time he is credited with driving business strategy, operations, and profitability across the region.

"Karsten has made impactful contributions to Vertiv during his tenure, particularly in strengthening our EMEA region through complex market dynamics," commented Vertiv CEO, Giordano Albertazzi, in an announcement.

"His strong leadership and passion for growing our business and our people, combined with his deep understanding of the market and ability to build lasting customer relationships, have been critical to our success."

His successor, Paul Ryan, brings more than 20 years’ industry experience to the role, including more than eight years service in procurement leadership at Vertiv. Most recently, he served as chief procurement officer, following an almost six-year stint as vice president of global procurement and supply chain.

During his time at the vendor to date, Vertiv said Ryan has led a “significant transformation” of its procurement function, strengthened its supply chain resilience and continuity, as well as improved service levels.

He also previously spent more than ten years at Emerson Network Power – which later rebranded as Vertiv – across various senior leadership roles, including vice president of global operations and supply chain for data center solutions.

Commenting on Ryan’s appointment, Alertazzi said the seasoned veteran’s extensive industry experience will be a key asset as the business looks to facilitate further growth across EMEA.

"Paul's vast experience with our industry and technologies, commercial acumen, proven track record in leading regional and global execution, combined with his expertise in advancing global supply chains and procurement, makes him the ideal leader to build upon the strong foundation established in our EMEA region," said Albertazzi.

"Paul’s internal succession to this role is a reflection of his impressive results and the momentum of Vertiv’s high performance culture. I am confident in his ability to further accelerate the region's success and drive continued growth."

As part of the leadership transition, Vertiv’s Patrick Grainey has been named as acting chief procurement officer, effective immediately. Reporting directly to Albertazzi, the vendor said Grainey will serve in the role while it actively begins recruitment for Ryan’s permanent successor.

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