Elmwood Park, New Jersey – Agfa Graphics announces that Gunther Mertens succeeds Peter Wilkens as Regional President for North America effective today.  He will also be member of the global Graphics Management Committee (GMC).  Gunther joined Agfa in 1999 and has held various positions in M&A and Finance.  Since 2006, he has been the Vice President & Chief Financial Officer of Agfa Graphics’ subsidiaries in the United States and Canada.  He holds a Master’s Degree in Business Economics from the University of Antwerp, Belgium.  In 2011, he became an American citizen. 

Stefaan Vanhooren, Agfa Graphics’ Global Corporate President, commented that “Gunther is a well-experienced senior executive with a proven track record in our company.  He brings a broad business acumen and operations know-how, combined with a good understanding of the evolving needs of the North American printing industry.”

“Since the acquisition of Pitman in 2010, Agfa Graphics has served a significantly broader customer base.  We will focus more on customers, providing them added value across their businesses and an excellent experience in doing business with Agfa.  It is our clear intention to generate sustainable business growth, building on innovative solutions and broad relationships that we enjoy with a wide variety of excellent printing vendors,” Gunther Mertens said.

Also effective today, Michael Ciaramella joins Agfa Graphics as its Vice President, Sales for the United States.  Michael built his outstanding sales, marketing and professional service skills in the U.S. printing industry, including in successful management positions at HP, Eastman Kodak and Microsoft.  “He has also proven credentials in creating high-performing sales teams capable of selling value-add solutions encompassing all segments of our business. We welcome him and look forward to start a successful journey,” Gunther said.