Pentair has named Massimo Grassi, 42, to the position of managing director of its Pentair Water Europe (PWE) business effective October 1, 2003. Werner Brauer, who has served as managing director of PWE since September 1999, has been named vice president of European Growth Ventures for PWE.
"Our European water business is gaining momentum and we must reinforce the top-level resources of our leadership team to take full advantage of that energy," said Richard J. Cathcart, president and chief operating officer of Pentair Water Technologies Group. "Massimo has a proven track record of business development and market penetration, and brings extensive experience in the European water industry to Pentair. His interest in helping build a market-leading water business in Europe mesh perfectly with our strategic goals for the PWE organization."
Grassi's background in the water industry includes 10 years of progressively responsible positions with Austria-based BWT AG, the European leader in water treatment technology. Since 2000, Grassi has served as chief operating officer of BWT's Ecolife Technologies division and a member of its board of directors. From 1999 to 2000, he held the position of corporate vice president of the Standards Product Division. From 1994 to 1999, he was managing director of BWT Belgium SA, and, in the year prior, served as business development manager of BWT Wassertechnick GmbH.
Grassi served as general manager of water conditioning control valve maker, SIATA S.p.A., from 1989 to 1992. (Pentair acquired the SIATA valve business in 1996.) In addition, Grassi served as Pirelli's motorcycle tire product manager from 1987 to 1988, and, in the prior two years, provided technical sales support to the Italian copper laminate producer, MAS Industriale. Grassi holds a Mechanical Engineering degree specializing in fluid dynamics from the University of Florence.
"We owe considerable thanks to Werner Brauer for his leadership of the PWE business," Cathcart added. "I am very pleased that Werner will continue to contribute to the growth of our European interests, and participate in the expansion of our business interests in Europe."
Source: Pentair
