Kitchen and laundry appliance manufacturer Whirlpool Corp. announced Ava Harter will join the company as senior vice president and chief legal officer, effective Dec. 1.

Harter replaces Kirsten Hewitt, who has announced her intention to retire after nearly 25 years with Whirlpool. Harter will assume Hewitt’s position on the executive committee and report to CEO Marc Bitzer.

Harter joins Whirlpool from Owens Corning, where she served as senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary since 2015. In this role, Harter oversaw global legal operations, government affairs, and corporate affairs. Prior to that, she acted as general counsel and chief compliance officer for Taleris America.

Under Hewitt’s leadership, Whirlpool executed some of its most significant acquisitions and divestitures, including Maytag, Indesit, Hefei Sanyo brands, and Embraco. Hewitt also led the global transformation of the company’s legal team to continue to advance Whirlpool’s vision and strategy for the next century of innovation.

Topics