Vertiv Names New EMEA Leadership in Strategic Shift
▼ Summary
– Karsten Winther will retire as president of Vertiv’s EMEA region on December 31, 2025, after impactful contributions to the business.
– Paul Ryan, currently chief procurement officer, has been appointed as Winther’s successor effective January 1, 2026.
– Winther strengthened Vertiv’s EMEA operations through leadership, market expertise, and customer relationship building during his tenure.
– Ryan brings over 20 years of industry experience, including leadership roles in global procurement, supply chain, and regional operations.
– Patrick Grainey has been named acting chief procurement officer while Vertiv recruits a permanent replacement for Ryan.
Vertiv has announced a significant leadership transition for its Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) operations, marking a strategic shift for the global digital infrastructure provider. Karsten Winther, the current president for the EMEA region, will retire from his position effective December 31, 2025. Stepping into the role on January 1, 2026, will be Paul Ryan, who currently serves as the company’s chief procurement officer.
Giordano Albertazzi, Vertiv’s Chief Executive Officer, praised Winther’s substantial impact. “Karsten has made impactful contributions to Vertiv during his tenure, particularly in strengthening our EMEA region through complex market dynamics,” Albertazzi stated. He highlighted Winther’s deep market knowledge and his ability to build lasting customer relationships as critical factors in the company’s regional success. Winther will remain in his position through the end of the year to ensure a smooth leadership transition, concluding a career at Vertiv that saw him rise from regional sales leadership to executive management.
His successor, Paul Ryan, brings over two decades of industry experience to the role. During his more than eight years as chief procurement officer and vice president of global procurement and supply chain, Ryan led a significant transformation of the procurement function, strengthening supply chain resilience and continuity. His prior experience includes over ten years in leadership roles at Emerson Network Power, the predecessor to Vertiv, where he served as vice president of operations for EMEA, managing director for Asia Pacific, and vice president of global operations and supply chain for data center solutions.
Albertazzi expressed strong confidence in the internal appointment. “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,” he commented. He added that Ryan’s promotion reflects his impressive results and aligns with Vertiv’s high-performance culture, positioning him well to accelerate the region’s growth.
Ryan holds a bachelor’s degree in production management and a master’s degree in science from the department of mathematics, both from the University of Limerick. He has also completed an executive development program at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
To fill the vacancy created by Ryan’s promotion, Vertiv has named Patrick Grainey as the acting chief procurement officer, effective immediately. Grainey will report directly to CEO Albertazzi while the company initiates a formal search for a permanent chief procurement officer.
(Source: MEA Tech Watch)
