Ontario, Calif. — The IAPMO Board of Directors announced that IAPMO Chief Operating Officer/Executive Vice President Dave Viola has been appointed to chief executive officer effective Jan. 1, 2021, taking over for GP Russ Chaney, who is retiring after a quarter-century at the helm of the 95-year-old association. IAPMO will continue to benefit from Chaney’s leadership Read more
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Ontario, Calif. — The IAPMO Board of Directors announced that IAPMO Chief Operating Officer/Executive Vice President Dave Viola has been appointed to chief executive officer effective Jan. 1, 2021, taking over for GP Russ Chaney, who is retiring after a quarter-century at the helm of the 95-year-old association. IAPMO will continue to benefit from Chaney’s leadership skills and experience as an executive adviser to the CEO.
Viola has more than 25 years of senior management experience within the plumbing and mechanical industry. He joined IAPMO in 2007 and has served as IAPMO’s chief operating officer for the past seven years, with strategic and operational responsibility for the comprehensive array of IAPMO Group programs and services.
“I am humbled and energized by the opportunity to assume leadership of a great institution that has played a vital role in protecting health and safety in the built environment for generations,” Viola said. “I intend to build on the legacy of Russ Chaney, who leaves behind a thriving business already positioned for growth with a talented management team.”
Chaney came to IAPMO in 1995, during a time of significant changes in the development and maintenance of model construction codes. Today, IAPMO continues to be an essential contributor to the development of plumbing product and installation standards.
“Dave Viola possesses a unique ability to strategize, to create a vision and implement the steps necessary to achieve that vision,” Chaney said. “I will enjoy watching Dave continue to build upon the success that he has exhibited throughout his entire tenure at The IAPMO Group.”
“The IAPMO board believes Dave has proven leadership skills, a deep understanding of our products and services, and an ardent commitment to IAPMO’s mission,” IAPMO President Dave Straub said. “We are confident that we identified the best leader to take IAPMO forward. On behalf of the board, I also want to take the opportunity to thank Russ Chaney for his many years of exemplary leadership, steady business growth, and devotion to IAPMO’s charge of protecting public health and safety.”
Prior to joining IAPMO, Viola served as technical director for the Plumbing Manufacturers Institute (PMI) for nine years, where he oversaw education, code, product compliance, and regulatory activities. Before PMI, he worked for BOCA International and the International Code Council as a staff engineer managing the development of their plumbing code and associated training and support publications.
Viola serves or has served on the following notable industry committees:
- Current deputy chairman and Executive Board member, World Plumbing Council
- Chairman, American Society of Mechanical Engineers A112 Committee on Plumbing
- Board of Directors, American Society of Mechanical Engineers Standardization and Testing
- Founding director, Alliance for Water Efficiency
- Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Reinvent the Toilet Technical Advisory Committee
- World Health Organization (WHO) Advisory Committee on Water Quality
- American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Accredited Certification Committee
- U.S. Green Building Council Water Efficiency Technical Advisory Group
- Green Building Initiative Commercial Green Building Committee and Water Subcommittee
- American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) 191 Committee for the Efficient Use of Water in Building, Site and Mechanical Systems
- ASHRAE 189 Committee for High-Performance Green Buildings
- American Society of Plumbing Engineers Main Design Standards Committee
- American Society of Sanitary Engineers Plumbing Product Standards Committee
- Canadian Standards Association Plumbing Technical Committees
Viola holds a degree in mechanical engineering from Northern Illinois University. In 2005, he received the American Society of Sanitary Engineers Fellow Award.
Markus Brettschneider replaces Dave Garlow Viega LLC has named Markus Brettschneider as its new CEO and President. Brettschneider replaces Dave Garlow, who resigned effective Sept. 1. In his new position, Brettschneider is responsible for the overall operations of Viega LLC. “Mr. Brettschneider is a growth-driven leader with many years of extensive professional and management experience Read more
Markus Brettschneider replaces Dave Garlow
Viega LLC has named Markus Brettschneider as its new CEO and President.
Brettschneider replaces Dave Garlow, who resigned effective Sept. 1. In his new position, Brettschneider is responsible for the overall operations of Viega LLC.
“Mr. Brettschneider is a growth-driven leader with many years of extensive professional and management experience in the international and American markets. He grew up in Germany, but spent almost his entire professional life outside of his home country—including more than eight years in the United States,” said Claus Holst-Gydesen, CEO of Viega Holding GmbH & Co.
Brettschneider was hired after an international search. He most recently was with ABB, where he was Group Senior Vice President and Global Head of Marketing and Sales for Industrial Automation and Global Head of Group Solutions & Channels. ABB is a global technology company specializing in robotics, motion, electrification and automation technology.
Prior to that, he held management positions with FrieslandCampina, Refresco, SIG Combibloc and other firms. He has an MBA from Edinburgh Management School and a degree in international marketing from Cooperate State University in Schwenningen, Germany.
“I was attracted to Viega because of the culture, the customers, the portfolio and the great opportunities to grow,” Brettschneider said. “When the opportunity came up, it was really quite a simple decision. I like working for a family-owned company with strong values and great culture, and I’m excited to continue this growth journey with the team.”
Garlow, the outgoing CEO, was with Viega for 20 years in various roles. Under his leadership, Viega grew significantly in the North American market by accelerating the adoption of pressing technology. He will help ensure a smooth transition toBrettschneider’s leadership. Garlow said the thing he will miss most is the people and friendships in the industry.
“My decision to leave Viega now is made easier knowing that I’m leaving it in excellent hands. Markus has the skills and drive to ensure Viega’s continued growth and success,” Garlow said.
Poehling Seymour Will be honored during NETWORK2020 Virtual Oct. 8. ASA’s Women in Industry division recently announced First Supply Chief Administrative Officer and COO, Kitchen and Bath Stores Katie Poehling Seymour is the recipient of the 2020 Alice A. Martin Woman of the Year Award. Poehling Seymour will be honored during the second day of Read more
Poehling Seymour Will be honored during NETWORK2020 Virtual Oct. 8.
ASA’s Women in Industry division recently announced First Supply Chief Administrative Officer and COO, Kitchen and Bath Stores Katie Poehling Seymour is the recipient of the 2020 Alice A. Martin Woman of the Year Award.
Poehling Seymour will be honored during the second day of ASA’s NETWORK2020 Virtual event on Thursday, Oct. 8. She was to receive the award at the Women in Industry ELEVATE2020 event in Charleston, South Carolina earlier this year that was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Poehling Seymour is one of the co-founders of ASA’s Women in Industry division along with NIBCO Vice President of Sales Ashley Martin. The award is named after Martin’s mother, Alice, who passed away in 2017. Ashley Martin was the inaugural award recipient last year in during ELEVATE2019 in Savannah, Georgia. The annual award recognizes women in the PHCP-PVF industry who have a record of significant accomplishment within the industry and embody the character of the late Alice Martin, who had been with NIBCO since 1984 in a variety of key roles.
“I am honored to be recognized by the organization as woman of the year,” Poehling Seymour said. “This is only the second year of the award, and to follow in the footsteps of Ashley Martin is incredible. Ashley and Alice are both leaders. I am thrilled to be in their company! The Martin family members are outstanding representatives of our industry. Alice was a brilliant woman who led her company and her family to be pillars, not only among ASA, but among their community. It’s a role every woman in any industry strives to fill. Our industry is lucky to have had Alice as a role model and lucky to have the opportunity to recognize women who are emulating her example.
“I’d also like to thank everyone at First Supply who has helped me on this journey. Leadership in any organization isn’t possible without a great team to rely on for support.”
As one of the founding members of Women in Industry. Poehling Seymour has watched the group continue to grow and flourish.
“I was fortunate to be among the founding members of the group, as my friend Ashley Martin and I took on the leadership of the group initially,” she said. “The goal of Women in Industry has been to attract, retain and promote women in our industry. When the group was started, we recognized that many women had the shared experience of being the only woman in the room at meetings or at the table in discussions. It could be really powerful if all of the ‘only women’ came together to share those experiences. We also saw that more and more teams in our companies had great female members, so finding ways to promote and retain, not only leaders in our organizations, but all women in our organizations would provide better future opportunities to everyone.”
Poehling Seymour referenced a quote from women’s leadership author Sheryl Sandberg in reference to the group’s continued expansion. “This group has lived up to one of Sheryl’s quotes, ‘When you are offered a seat on a rocket ship, don’t ask what seat. Just get on!’”
“This group has been like a rocket growing and gaining influence and truly being meaningful in the industry,” she added. “It’s so important that the organization isn’t just for young women or women in leadership positions. Women of all ages in all roles in our members’ businesses participate today, which makes such a powerful experience to attend any of our events. You may have breakfast with a young woman in sales just getting started in her career let alone the industry. You may have lunch with a woman who never thought something like this would be possible in our industry and has stories to tell, and you may have dinner with peers at the same place in their careers as you are, and you end the day commiserating. Since we started the group, I’ve become a mom, too. Now that I have a daughter, I’m even more proud of having been part of the beginning of this group as I’ll be able to share that with her someday. I can only imagine how proud Alice was of Ashley. Her legacy is a great inspiration to us all.”
Watts has announced new leaders for several key business units as it continues to strengthen its commitment to customers. Jim Koepsell has been appointed the General Manager of Watts’ Drains and Industrial businesses. Previously, Koepsell led Watts’ Commercial Operations organization. He is responsible for Watts’ cast iron, BLÜCHER stainless steel, and Orion chemical waste drainage Read more
Watts has announced new leaders for several key business units as it continues to strengthen its commitment to customers.
Jim Koepsell has been appointed the General Manager of Watts’ Drains and Industrial businesses. Previously, Koepsell led Watts’ Commercial Operations organization. He is responsible for Watts’ cast iron, BLÜCHER stainless steel, and Orion chemical waste drainage solutions, along with Watts’ Mueller Steam industrial strainer, check valve, and butterfly valve solutions.
Atul Sharma has been appointed the Director of Watts’ Commercial Operations and General Manager for Watts’ Syncta business. Previously, Sharma led multiple strategic projects for Watts and served on the Corporate Strategy & Business Development team.
Carlos Haddad has been appointed General Manager for Watts’ Dormont Gas Business Unit in addition to his existing role as Vice President of Marketing and Business Development (Americas and Europe). He is responsible for Watts’ Gas connector and Gas safety systems for residential, commercial, and food service applications.
“In appointing these leaders, we are positioned to provide the highest level of support to our customers,” according to Andrew Windsor, Watts Senior Vice President, Sales. “As always, our top objective is to deliver the products and solutions that will help our customers succeed.”
For more info, watts.com.
RPA Executive Director and IAPMO’s Vice President of Advanced Energy Programs Les Nelson Passes Away
Ontario, Calif. — With deep sadness IAPMO announces the passing of Vice President of Advanced Energy Programs Les Nelson. Nelson died last week at his home in Corona, California. He was 66. Nelson joined IAPMO in January 2012, bringing extensive industry knowledge and experience to The IAPMO Group’s rapidly expanding solar energy profile. He also brought Read more
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