Peter Gibson has joined the Smardt Chiller Group's fast-growing Asia-Pacific business as managing director, based in Melbourne, effective November 21, 2016.
The former chief executive of German-owned manufacturing group Bitzer Australia since 2013, Gibson's global experience includes several years building sales and a new customer base for ebm-pabst in North America.
His initial training as a refrigeration mechanic in Melbourne was followed by an MBA from Swinburne University.
Smardt founder and CEO, Roger Richmond-Smith, said Gibson's skill set is ideal for accelerating company growth in the Asia Pacific region.
"He will be working closely with our Australian regional team in Melbourne, with Asia VP Sam Ringwaldt and his team in Singapore and with China GM Jeff He and his team in Guangzhou.
Gibson will be reporting to global COO Vince Canino.
Commenting on the appointment Canino said that as the global number one in oil-free centrifugal chillers and the world's largest user of Turbocor technology, Smardt has come a long way since building the world's first oil-free centrifugal chiller in 2002.
"Our factories in Stuttgart, Montreal, Melbourne, Plattsburgh, Sao Paulo and Guangzhou are proving a very exciting force for growth in our global customer base, with over 6000 chillers now installed," he said.
"Peter Gibson's customer focus, his agility with technology and product development and his unusual strengths with people and finance all fit incredibly well with our strategic plans for the near future and beyond into the new digital age."
Smardt's product range- from 60 tonnes to 2500 tonnes capacity- includes water cooled, air cooled, modular and evaporatively cooled chiller technologies.