MARTIN Richards, former md of Fujitsu air conditioning in the UK has joined Hitachi as UK and Ireland manager.

A well-known industry figure with a wealth of knowledge and experience in air conditioning, rumours of his return to the industry have been widely discussed since leaving Fujitsu nearly three years ago.

Patrick Grabski European sales manager of Hitachi, said: 'We're delighted to welcome Martin Richards to the team here at Hitachi. Martin has fantastic experience under his belt and in-depth understanding of the challenges and demands facing the industry. We're looking forward to working with him to make even stronger our position as a leading provider of high quality, efficient and reliable air conditioning solutions.'

Martin's new role at Hitachi will see him look after the UK and Irish operation, with focus on further increasing direct sales and its distributor network.