Brent Shafer has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of Philips North America, the company’s single largest market. In his new role, Shafer will be responsible for strengthening Philips’ culture of entrepreneurship and growing revenue and market share in the United States and Canada. He will succeed Greg Sebasky, who retired from Philips on February 3, and he will report directly to Royal Philips’ CEO, Frans van Houten. Shafer previously served as CEO of Philips’ Home Healthcare Solutions business group.

“Given the size and the dynamics of the North American market, and the opportunities that we see, we are taking decisive actions to boost new business development and grow faster than the market,” says van Houten, in a release. “In Brent we have the right leader to do just that as he brings a strong track record, both within Philips and outside of the company, of building successful businesses based on entrepreneurship and meaningful innovations.”

With more than 21,500 employees and operations at 57 major facilities in 26 US states and three Canadian provinces, Philips North America focuses on serving its customers by leveraging its portfolio in Healthcare, Consumer Lifestyle, and Lighting. Shafer will work closely with the North American Healthcare team, which among others offers patient care solutions for the hospital and the home; the Consumer Lifestyle team, which brings to market Philips Sonicare and Philips AVENT; and the North American Lighting business, which partners with cities, schools, and building owners to improve people’s public and private environments through the implementation of energy efficient and innovative lighting solutions.

John Frank, Philips’ Sr VP/GM, Sleep and Respiratory Care, says: “Philips Home Healthcare Solutions, which includes Philips Respironics, continues to have an unwavering commitment to serving as an ally to homecare providers and their patients. We have launched 36 new solutions in the past 36 months and we are working every day to introduce meaningful value-added programs to help homecare providers prosper in these challenging times.

“In the coming weeks, Philips will identify the leader who will assume the CEO position for Home Healthcare Solutions and help fuel our momentum to deliver solutions that can lead to healthier patients and a healthier market to bring quality care into the home.”

Shafer brings market and business experience to his new role through various senior leadership positions within Philips and other companies including General Electric, Hill-Rom, and Hewlett-Packard.