The business now formerly known as Emerson Network Power has announced the appointment of Rob Johnson as CEO and officially commenced a campaign to rebrand the standalone company as Vertiv.
Vertiv is a global provider of mission-critical infrastructure technologies for vital applications in data centers, communication networks, and commercial and industrial environments. The company, which is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio (USA), has more than 20,000 employees and more than 25 manufacturing and assembly facilities worldwide.
Platinum Equity acquired the business from Emerson in a transaction valued in excess of $4 billion. Emerson also retained a minority interest in the company.
Mr. Johnson, most recently an operating partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, spent 10 years at American Power Conversion (APC), a leader in data center infrastructure. He was President and CEO of APC when the company was sold to Schneider Electric for $6.1 billion in 2007. While at APC he also served as General Manager of the company’s Availability Enhancement Group.
“It’s a fresh start for a business that already has so much going for it. I look forward to working with my new colleagues at Vertiv as we begin this transformational chapter in the company’s history,” said Mr. Johnson. “As an independent company, Vertiv will operate with great freedom to make business strategy and investment decisions, move more quickly like a startup, and focus on innovative solutions for our customers, including those in the growing cloud computing, mobile and IoT networks.”
Vertiv will build on the broad portfolio of product and service offerings for power, thermal and IT management capabilities it previously offered as Emerson Network Power, including its industry-leading flagship brands ASCO, Chloride, Liebert, NetSure and Trellis.
Platinum Equity Partner Jacob Kotzubei said that Platinum Equity’s M&A and operational resources, and the firm’s strong relationship with Emerson, will benefit Vertiv in the short and long term.
“We will support Vertiv’s growth and product innovation every step of the way, both organically and through prospective add-on acquisitions,” said Mr. Kotzubei. “This is our second partnership with Emerson and we have had great success together. We look forward to a seamless transition and an exciting future for Vertiv and the customers it serves.”
In support of its rebranding as Vertiv, the company has unveiled its new website at www.VertivCo.com and starting in January 2017, will launch an advertising campaign to introduce its new brand with the theme “Your Mission is Critical.”
Vertiv supports its business customers’ evolving needs in digital infrastructure, including solutions for mobile, cloud and edge computing, as well as in data center collocation, energy storage and sustainability. The company has sales and service personnel in virtually every major country, backed by over 255 service centers worldwide, with over 3,000 service field engineers and more than 400 technical support/response people.
