International. The new CEO and President of Daikin Applied Americas is Jeff Drees, who currently serves as executive vice president of sales, marketing and aftermarket at Daikin Applied, and will replace Mike Schwartz, who will retire at the end of August after 11 years at the helm of the company.
"This is an exciting time to be in the HVAC and construction solutions industry," Drees said. "The work we do has a profound impact on the world at large, helping customers address issues such as reducing carbon emissions and improving indoor air quality. I am honored to lead these efforts and contribute to the significant growth the company has experienced over the past decade."
Drees joined Daikin Applied in 2020 and has led the organization's solution transformation, expanding the portfolio of offerings and adding new capabilities through key acquisitions. He is a strong advocate for customers as well as Daikin's sales representatives and employees.
"Jeff's leadership is critical to developing the strategy, plan and portfolio needed to address local and global challenges: air quality, decarbonization, digitalization," said Hirokazu Hirao, director of Daikin's Applied Solutions Business Division, which includes Daikin Applied. "He is uniquely qualified to shape this organization to solve our customers' problems and help us achieve the highest position in North America."
Drees came to Daikin with a background in commercial engineering and operations. He held executive positions in private equity, as well as holding important business unit roles at Flowserve and Schneider Electric. He began his career in the United States Air Force and holds a Bachelor of Science from Southern Illinois University and a Master of Business Administration from Aurora University.
