Esther Berrozpe is the first chairwoman in Whirlpool’s history

Esther Berrozpe, a 43-year-old Spanish woman, who is married with a son, has been appointed as the chairwoman of Whirlpool EMEA, and will be part of the multinational’s executive committee; her appointment officially starts on 1 May 2013. She is the first chairwoman in the history of Whirlpool, one of the most important players in the electrical appliance sector. Berrozpe, who will be directly accountable to Marc Bitzer, the chairman of Whirlpool North America, replaces José Drummond.

“I’m honoured by the trust and esteem Whirlpool has shown towards me,” was Berrozpe’s first comment. “This new appointment is the crowning achievement of a career, in which Whirlpool has given me the great opportunity to learn about very different business areas, countries and markets. These international experiences have been a decisive factor in my professional growth. Whirlpool’s policy of providing these opportunities for professional and personal growth, is one of the company’s founding values, and is one of its strong points. I thank José Drummond, who approved this new appointment.”

"Ester Berrozpe is a global leader with proven abilities. She has significant experience in both the North American and the European markets, and she’s the ideal person to lead our business in the EMEA region," said the Chairman and CEO of the Whirlpool Corporation, Jeff Fettig.

Berrozpe, who is currently the vice-chairwoman of Whirlpool EMEA European Markets, a position she was appointed to on 1 August 2012, graduated in Economics & Business Administration at the University of Deusto, in San Sebastian (Spain). Berrozpe spent a long time, first studying, and then working, in Italy. In 1993, she attended courses in Economics and International Business at the University of Bergamo, as part of the Erasmus Program. In 2000, she joined Whirlpool, where she was first the Director of Marketing and Trade Marketing for Iberia, then the Director of Brands & Value Brands and the Director of Category Food Preparation for Europe, based in Comerio; in 2008, she moved to Whirlpool North America, to the offices in Benton Harbor, first as the General Manager for Cooking, and then as the vice-Chairwoman of the Brand Product Business, where she was personally involved in defining and implementing the market strategy that led to significant success in that region. Before joining Whirlpool, Berrozpe was the Category Manager for Paglieri, the Senior Category Manager for Sara Lee Personal Products, and the Director of Marketing and Trade Marketing for Spain, for the Wella Group. For personal reasons, José Drummond is returning to Brazil, and is keeping his role on the board of Whirlpool S.A. Brazil, until the end of the year.