JELD-WEN Holding Inc. appointed William (Bill) J. Christensen chief executive officer. In conjunction with his appointment as CEO, Christensen also joins the JELD-WEN board as a director. Christensen joined the company in April 2022 as executive vice president and president of JELD-WEN Europe.
Kevin C. Lilly, who served as interim CEO, will assume the role of executive vice president, global transformation, where he will lead enterprise transformation initiatives and continue to have responsibility for the global information technology organization.
Christensen the "right leader"
"After an extensive search process with many highly qualified candidates, we are confident that Bill is the right leader to drive JELD-WEN forward at this important time for the company," says David G. Nord, chair of the JELD-WEN board of directors. "Bill's understanding of our organization, prior CEO experience in the building products industry and proven ability to lead transformation in global manufacturing businesses make him the right choice. We look forward to working with Bill as we continue to simplify and streamline the company to better compete in the markets we serve and drive more value for our customers, employees and shareholders."
"I'm honored to take on the role as JELD-WEN's CEO at a pivotal time in the company's history," says Christensen. "I'm confident in JELD-WEN's future and look forward to working closely with the board of directors, the senior management team and our global associates to deliver profitable growth and increased value to our stakeholders."
About Christensen
Christensen joined JELD-WEN in 2022 after serving as CEO and group executive board chair of REHAU AG, a Swiss-based global manufacturer. During his tenure at REHAU AG, he architected a multi-million-dollar transformation to improve profitability that included restructuring, selling non-core businesses, streamlining production assets and defining strategic growth priorities.
Prior to joining REHAU AG, Christensen was CEO of Arbonia AG, a Swiss-based global building products manufacturer. In addition, he spent ten years at Geberit International AG, a global plumbing manufacturer, in several executive roles, including group executive board member and head of international sales, as well as president and CEO of The Chicago Faucets Company. He also served in various finance and business development roles at J.P. Morgan Securities and Rieter Automotive Systems.
