Uponor Corp., the Finland-based parent of Uponor North America, has appointed Jennifer Hauschildt to the newly created position of chief human resources officer (CHRO) for the company worldwide, while also making her a member of the Uponor Executive Committee. The appointment, effective April 1, makes her the first leader based in North America to be named to the executive committee in a non-presidential role.

Based at the Apple Valley headquarters, Hauschildt has been serving as vice president of human resources for the North American division since June 2019. Now reporting to Michael Rauterkus, president and CEO, Uponor Corp., she will continue to work from Minnesota. Hauschildt will travel worldwide, as needed, to establish working relationships across the entire Uponor organization and move key initiatives forward.

"I warmly welcome Jennifer to this new position on our Uponor executive committee," Rauterkus said. “She brings excellent organization and high-performance culture development skills, as well as extensive HR experience to the role. I am happy we found her internally, demonstrating our strong in-house experience and talent. Her capabilities and leadership are a great fit for driving the next phase of Uponor's 'people first' agenda.”

Hauschildt began her career at Uponor in 2014 as vice president, information technology (IT), at Uponor North America. Prior to joining the company, she worked 20 years at Thomson Reuters and held various leadership positions in human resources, talent development, diversity and IT. She holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a master’s in business administration.

“In her new role, Jen will be responsible for ensuring alignment between our business strategy and driving a 'people first' culture globally,” said John Reutter, interim president and vice president of finance for Uponor North America. “Her appointment to the executive committee perfectly demonstrates our 'flexible first' working culture, in that It signifies that no matter where an employee is based, there are opportunities for career advancement at Uponor.”

Reutter also announced that Erica Amevo, director of human resources at Uponor North America, will assume the role of interim vice president, Human Resources, for the division, while a search begins for Hauschildt’s permanent replacement. Amevo will report to Reutter and serve on the Senior Management Committee.

"I am excited not only to take on this new role, but also for the importance Uponor is placing on moving our 'people first' culture forward," Hauschildt said. “Our people are our most important asset, and the 'people first' agenda reflects that commitment.”

As of April 1, Uponor Corp.’s executive committee will consist of the following members:

Michael Rauterkus, John Reutter and Jennifer Hauschildt, as well as Markus Melkko, chief financial officer; Karsten Hoppe, president, Building Solutions – Europe; and Sebastian Bondestam, president, Uponor Infra.