Vertiv has announced that Karsten Winther, president for Europe, Middle East and Africa [EMEA], will retire at the end of 2025. He concludes a tenure marked by regional expansion and strategic consolidation through turbulent market shifts. Paul Ryan, currently chief procurement officer, will succeed him effective January 1, 2026. Signaling a continuity-focused transition within Vertiv’s leadership bench.
Under Winther’s stewardship Vertiv navigated global supply challenges and energy market volatility. Despite these challenges it strengthened its position in the EMEA data center and infrastructure landscape. CEO Giordano Albertazzi credited him for strengthening the EMEA region through complex market dynamics. In addition to embedding a performance-driven culture across operations and customer relationships. Winther, who rose from regional sales leadership to executive oversight, will continue guiding the transition through 2025.
Internal Promotion Signals Focus on Resilience
With over two decades in the sector including leadership in procurement, supply chain transformation, and regional operations. Ryan has been central to Vertiv’s efforts to fortify supply continuity and service levels amid rising global infrastructure demands. His previous leadership roles at Emerson Network Power [now Vertiv], spanning EMEA and Asia Pacific, bring both regional familiarity and global execution depth to the post.
Albertazzi highlighted his blend of technical expertise and strategic oversight across supply chain systems. The move aligns with a broader industry trend of promoting cross-functional leaders who can balance procurement discipline with regional market agility. This is a critical combination as data center and power infrastructure markets tighten under sustainability and digital transformation pressures.
Simultaneously, Patrick Grainey has been appointed acting chief procurement officer. He will report directly to Albertazzi while the company begins recruitment for a permanent successor.
The leadership shift signals Vertiv’s bid to sustain growth momentum and deepen its operational resilience through 2026, as the company positions itself at the intersection of energy efficiency, infrastructure scalability, and regional digital expansion.
