GE Lighting today announced that Agostino Renna has been named president and CEO of GE Lighting Europe, Middle East and Africa effective immediately.

Agostino Renna, President and CEO of GE Lighting Europe, Middle East and Africa. (Photo: General Electric)

Renna, who will report to GE Lighting president and CEO Maryrose Sylvester, succeeds Phil Marshall who has led GE Lighting Europe, Middle East and Africa, since 2008. Marshall has left GE Lighting to pursue a position outside of the company.

“Agostino Renna’s experience, leadership and significant sales and marketing background make him an outstanding person to continue the transformation of the Lighting business in the region,” said GE Lighting president and CEO Maryrose Sylvester. “Agostino has demonstrated outstanding management qualities and has the ability to sharpen our strategic focus to lead GE Lighting Europe, Middle East and Africa to achieve strong, sustained growth in 2013 and beyond.”

Renna most recently was Vice President, Growth and Market Strategy for GE-Canada with responsibility for the long term growth and market positioning of all GE's businesses in Canada.

Prior to joining GE, Renna spent 14 years at Johnson Controls Inc., where he worked in Canada, the US and Europe. He held leadership roles in sales, marketing, strategy and general management culminating with a position leading Johnson Controls’ Energy Solutions division for Europe, the Middle East and Africa based in Brussels, Belgium.

Renna was born in Montreal, Quebec and holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from McGill University. He speaks four languages fluently. He is a regular speaker at conferences and roundtables that focus on addressing global energy challenges. While in Belgium, Renna was an Executive in Residence at the Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School, where, in his lectures, he brought a strong practioner’s perspective to the topics of sales, marketing, strategy and leadership.

About GE Lighting

GE Lighting invents with the vigor of its founder Thomas Edison to develop energy-efficient solutions that change the way people light their world in commercial, industrial, municipal and residential settings. The business employs about 15,000 people in more than 100 countries, and sells products under the Reveal® and Energy Smart® consumer brands, and Evolve ™, GTx, Immersion ™, Infusion™, Lumination® and Tetra® commercial brands, all trademarks of GE. General Electric (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter to build a world that works better. For more information, visit www.gelighting.com.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20130102005231/en/