Angela McGinlay returns to Daikin UK as Managing Director, having originally joined the company in 2010 as Branch Manager and then Corporate Affairs Manager. After moving to Daikin Europe HQ as Department Manager of Customer Service and Process Improvement, Angela has been Managing Director of Daikin Portugal since 2016, where she has steered the company through three years of rapid expansion. 

Martin Krutz’s appointment as CEO of the AHT Group builds on 28 years’ experience within the Daikin Group, including most recently three highly successful years in Daikin UK and, prior to that, roles within the EMEA Business Reform Office in Daikin Europe, as Managing Director of Daikin Central Europe and as Managing Director of Daikin Poland. Martin is taking over the helm from Frank Elsen, acting Chief Executive Officer of AHT since October 2018 and previously Chief Financial Officer. 

Says Mark Dyer, Commercial Director of Daikin UK, “On behalf of all Daikin UK employees, I would like to say that it has been an absolute pleasure working with Martin over the last three years, a time during which Daikin UK has grown from strength to strength. He leaves the business in a very positive position, expanding steadily with a skilled team and strong people-centred culture which, together with continued product innovations, will ensure that we are ready to take on the opportunities and challenges ahead. We look forward to welcoming Angela to take us forward on the next stage of this journey.” 

The handover in leadership will commence officially on 1 March 2019, with Martin Krutz joining the AHT Group as CEO and Angela McGinlay taking up the role of Managing Director at Daikin UK. Jan Logghe, currently Section Manager Distributor Sales within Daikin Europe HQ, will assume the position of Managing Director of 

Portugal. A transition period throughout March and April will ensure a successful hand-over between the business leaders. 

Says Wim De Schacht, Vice President of Daikin Europe N.V. “I have absolute confidence in Angela McGinlay’s ability to lead Daikin onwards to even greater successes. For Martin too, this represents an exciting new challenge, but one that we are sure he is more than equal to, as is Jan in his new role within Daikin Portugal. We would like to thank them all for their continued commitment, efforts and achievements that contribute to the ongoing expansion of the Daikin group and wish them all the best in their new roles.” 

Daikin Europe N.V. completed the acquisition of AHT Group on 22 February 2019 as part of Daikin’s strategy to strengthen its business within the refrigeration market by building on AHT’s expertise in high efficiency refrigeration and freezing systems for supermarkets and convenience stores. This acquisition aligns with Daikin’s vision of continually investing in energy efficient technologies, while focusing on social responsibility issues such as diminishing food waste throughout the cold chain. 

Together with Daikin’s 2016 acquisition of the Zanotti Group, which specialises in commercial, industrial and transport refrigeration equipment, this latest acquisition aims to consolidate Daikin’s global leadership within the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR) industry.