Dubai, UAE, 10 March 2019: Water technology company, Xylem has announced the appointment of Francis (Frank) Ackland as the Regional Managing Director for the Middle East, and the repositioning of Vincent Chirouze as the Regional Managing Director for Africa. The company said through a Press communiqué that Ackland and Chirouze are expected to play a pivotal role in reinforcing Xylems presence and position in both markets.

The realignment of the Middle East and Africa region into two separate business operating regions comes as part of Xylems growth strategy of strengthening its leadership position across emerging markets, the communiqué said.

Ackland joins Xylem with over 20 years of experience in the region and will be instrumental in leveraging growth opportunities and expanding the business in the Middle East. Prior to joining Xylem, he held the position of Regional Managing Director, Middle East, at Eaton, overseeing the electrical business. He has previously worked in regional roles at GE, Alstom and Areva. I am delighted to join Xylem, with which I share its vision of solving global water issues and contributing to the sustainability agenda,” Ackland said. Pointing out to the work Xylem has done to date with regard to establishing its regional presence and manufacturing capabilities, he said that he looked to leverage further to deliver value-added products and services to regional customers.

According to the communiqué, Chirouze will focus his efforts on expanding Xylems business in Africa and penetrating growth opportunities across the continent. He has previously held various leadership positions in Africa and looks forward to again relocating to the continent. Speaking about his new role, Chirouze said: “I look forward to moving back to Africa and work closely with our local teams in delivering superior water solutions and applications knowledge to our customers across Africa.