Emerson Network Power has rebranded as Vertiv and has appointed Rob Johnson as its new ceo.

Vertiv is a global provider of mission-critical infrastructure technologies for vital applications in data centres, communication networks and commercial and industrial environments. With headquarters in Columbus, Ohio (USA), the company has more than 20,000 employees and more than 25 manufacturing and assembly facilities worldwide.

Platinum Equity has acquired the business from Emerson in a deal worth more than $4 billion, while Emerson retains a minority interest in the company.

Rob Johnson was most recently an operating partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. He spent 10 years at American Power Conversion (APC) and was president and ceo when the company was sold to Schneider Electric for $6.1 billion in 2007.  While at APC he also served as general manager of the company’s Availability Enhancement Group.

In addition to his career at APC, Mr. Johnson has worked in executive positions at Consolidated Container Corporation, a provider of rigid plastic packaging solutions.

In 1989, Mr. Johnson founded Systems Enhancement Corporation (SEC), a company that created innovative software and hardware solutions for the Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) industry. He sold the company to APC in 1997.

Vertiv will build on the broad portfolio of product and service offerings for power, thermal and IT management capabilities it previously offered as Emerson Network Power.