Mumbai: Vertiv, a global leader in critical digital infrastructure and continuity solutions, has announced a key leadership transition in its Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region.
Karsten Winther, president, EMEA, will retire from his position effective December 31, 2025. Paul Ryan, currently serving as chief procurement officer, has been appointed as his successor, beginning January 1, 2026.
“Karsten has made impactful contributions to Vertiv during his tenure, particularly in strengthening our EMEA region through complex market dynamics,” said Giordano Albertazzi, CEO of Vertiv. “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.”
Winther will continue in his role through the end of 2025 to ensure a smooth transition. Over his tenure, he progressed from regional sales leadership to executive management, driving business strategy, operational excellence, and profitability across Vertiv’s EMEA markets.
Paul Ryan brings over two decades of industry experience, including more than eight years leading Vertiv’s global procurement and supply chain functions. As chief procurement officer and vice president, global procurement/supply chain, Ryan led a major transformation that strengthened supply chain resilience, improved service levels, and fostered a culture of innovation.
Before his current role, Ryan held senior leadership positions at Emerson Network Power (now Vertiv), including vice president of operations for EMEA, vice president and managing director for Asia Pacific, and vice president of global operations and supply chain for data center solutions.
“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,” added 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.”
Ryan holds a bachelor’s degree in production management and a master’s degree in science from the University of Limerick, along with an executive development certification from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
Effective immediately, Patrick Grainey has been appointed acting chief procurement officer, reporting directly to Albertazzi. Grainey will continue in this capacity as Vertiv begins recruitment for the permanent CPO role.
