Miele Australia and New Zealand have named a new managing director in former Canadian division president Yves Dalcourt who will be bringing a consumer-first strategy based on the company’s philosophy of ‘Immer Besser – Forever Better’.

Yves Dalcourt took the position on 20 January this year, with the new director looking ahead ‘both personally and professionally’ in the coming decade.

‘I love to push the limits and encourage others to expand their potential, but I also understand the importance of having a laugh and a bit of fun along the way, which is the approach I will be bringing to the Miele ANZ office every day,’ said the new managing director.

It comes following the October announcement by Dr Reinhard Zinkann, Miele executive director and co-proprietor, that Sjaak Brouwer had ‘decided to retire and to return home to Europe’.

‘[Yves] has taken the challenge to move to Australia and we are happy to announce that. We are also proud and happy that with Yves, we now have in this very important market of Australia and New Zealand, an internal successor,’ said Dr Zinkann

The Australian/ New Zealand market is the third-largest behind German and the US for Miele.

Yves first joined Miele in 2007 as head of sales, transforming the Canadian business from wholesale retail to chartered agent in under a year.

Prior to taking on the position of Canada’s managing director, he led LG’s Canadian division between 2013 and 2014, before working as managing director for Miele Canada in 2016.