GROHE Appoints New President, Chief Executive Officer for the Americas

BLOOMINGDALE, Ill. – GROHE, a global leader in premium-quality, high-design kitchen and bathroom faucets and shower products, has named industry veteran Franz Droege president and chief executive officer for GROHE America, a subsidiary of GROHE Water Technology AG & Co.

In his new role, Droege is responsible for developing and overseeing key growth strategies supporting the GROHE brand in the United States, Canada, Central and South America – critical target markets for the company. Droege takes over this position from past president and CEO Jeff Ackerberg, who held the title for the last two years.

A GROHE veteran with more than 34 years with the company, Droege comes to lead the Americas after seven years as president of the GROHE business in the Middle East & Africa. Prior to that position, Droege had been responsible for GROHE North America as Director of Overseas Operations for almost 10 years.

“Franz comes to lead GROHE America with a wealth of industry and company experience,” said David J. Haines, GROHE Global CEO. “He has proven his exceptional leadership abilities with the strong team and superb performance he was able to deliver in the Middle East. We are confident that Franz will successfully apply his skills and knowledge to building our brand and enriching our teams in North and South America.”

“GROHE products are unsurpassed when it comes to quality and innovation – characteristics that have helped create a stellar brand reputation in North America among our target audiences,” said Droege. “With this foundation of trust and respect among consumers, the company is poised for remarkable growth. I’m anxious to lead a highly-energized team to new successes.”

Droege’s priority responsibilities in his new position as president and CEO will include bottom-line management, business strategy, sales, new product development, marketing, customer service and financial planning.