ST. JOSEPH, Mich. — Equipment manufacturer Whirlpool Corp. Commercial Laundry recently restructured its management team to deliver “unrivaled knowledge and expertise,” the company says.
Whirlpool says its “newly transformed … all-star team” is serving up innovative solutions and services that aim to exceed the industry’s varied needs.
“Enhancing our team’s talent is one of the many steps we are taking to deliver on our long-term vision, which includes continuous improvement projects that drive our renewed commitment to operational excellence and standout customer experience,” says Trey Northrup, the team’s leader and general manager.
“Steve Hietpas, Randy Karn, Nick Koukourakis and Rebecca Ross not only bring fresh out-of-the-box ideas to their new roles, they help us examine our efforts and the industry in a refreshing new light.”
Described by Whirlpool as an “intercontinental expert and savvy leader,” Hietpas is the team’s new international sales manager. A commercial laundry industry veteran of nearly 20 years, Hietpas has spent nearly two-thirds of his career in the field working closely with key distributor contacts. This experience, along with his team approach, makes him an ideal fit for this role and the perfect team member to unearth untapped opportunities abroad, Whirlpool says.
Hietpas will have full profit-and-loss ownership and “own” the long-range strategic plan for international business.
Helping deliver the corporation’s customer experience is Karn, who has transitioned to global service manager. He will coordinate internal and external initiatives and programs to support the company’s long-range plan. His Iowa State education, 35 years in the industry and positive attitude will serve him well in his new role, Whirlpool says, and Karn’s “voice of customer” work will provide a strong foundation. His strategic leadership will help guide the product development process.
Building on his mechanical engineering degree, extensive technical background and more than 15 years of marketing and sales experience, Koukourakis is the ideal person for the multi-load product management job, according to Whirlpool.
With a deep-rooted passion, Koukourakis will help bridge market gaps and engineer multi-load products that continue to exceed customer expectations, efficiency standards and industry needs, the corporation says.
Whirlpool calls Ross strategic and resourceful with a desire to drive brand loyalty, which fits perfectly in her latest corporate role: commercial laundry brand manager.
Driven by working closely with trade team members, she thrives in cross-functional team settings, Whirlpool says. Since joining the corporation in 2002, she has held various roles with increasing responsibility in brand marketing, co-marketing and channel marketing.
In addition to these appointments, Whirlpool believes that recent investments in product, research and development, testing and training will drive a “robust, holistic 360-degree customer experience” that will make it the preferred industry partner.
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