DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.— Luigi Di Geso has been appointed president and CEO of Mapei Americas. He replaces Reiner Blair, who left the company to pursue other options.

Di Geso has been with Mapei since 2000, joining the company as regional sales manager for eastern Canada and progressively holding more responsible positions, most recently as general manager of Mapei Canada.

In that role, he managed all aspects of Mapei’s Canadian business, including operations and sales functions, and had responsibility for overall profitability of Canada, the country in which Mapei opened its first manufacturing facility outside of Italy in 1978. Mapei’s first U.S. plant was not opened until 1984. Today, there are 18 facilities scattered across the country, making up nearly one third of the its plants worldwide.

Giorgio Squinzi, CEO of the Mapei Group, called Di Geso’s promotion “a strategic move during the difficult economic times we are currently experiencing.” He explained the feeling is that Di Geso will “strengthen” the relationship between Mapei Americas’ business unit and the Mapei Group. “We have an especially strong business team in the Americas, and Di Geso will build on that strength to position Mapei as an overall leader in the manufacture of materials for construction and the flooring industry in the Americas.”

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