Habitat for Humanity International welcomes Whirlpool Corporation’s Marc Bitzer to board of directors

Bitzer has more than 25 years of leadership experience, being named Chief Executive Officer of Whirlpool Corp. in 2017 and elected as Chairman of the Board in 2019. Bitzer joined Whirlpool Europe in 1999, serving as vice president for the Bauknecht brand group. He became senior vice president, marketing sales and services, Whirlpool Europe, in 2000 and was named president of Whirlpool Europe in January 2006. Between 2009-2013, he went on to serve as president of Whirlpool North America and president of U.S. operations and later was named vice chairman which included overall leadership of North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa. Before joining Whirlpool, Bitzer worked for eight years at the Boston Consulting Group in Munich and Toronto, and was named vice president in 1999. Bitzer earned both his MBA and doctorate from the St. Gallen Graduate School of Business, Economics and Law in Switzerland.

“It is an honor to join the Habitat for Humanity International board,” said Bitzer. “Our quarter century of work with Habitat, impacting more than 1 million people worldwide, demonstrates the interconnectedness of home appliances and housing in improving lives. Together, we’re helping build and improve homes, communities and lives, which is key to Whirlpool Corp.’s social responsibility strategy, and I look forward to helping the organization continue its important mission.”

Since 1999, Whirlpool Corp. has supported Habitat for Humanity to help improve and broaden the ways Habitat can assist more families to achieve housing stability. Over the past 25 years, Whirlpool Corp. has donated more than $150 million to Habitat globally — including more than 250,000 appliances — to help increase access to affordable housing in communities around the world. The company’s support spans donations, volunteer efforts, disaster response, advocacy and sustained investment in special initiatives, including Habitat’s Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project and BuildBetter with Whirlpool, an initiative that expands Habitat’s current efforts to help homeowners mitigate the impacts of climate change with more energy-efficient and resilient homes.

Habitat’s board of directors is responsible for establishing policy and guiding the organization’s efforts to build or improve affordable housing in partnership with families across the United States and in more than 70 countries around the world. Habitat board members serve for two-year terms that can be renewed up to four times. 

About Habitat for Humanity 

Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity found its earliest inspirations as a grassroots movement on an interracial community farm in south Georgia. Since its founding in 1976, the Christian housing organization has since grown to become a leading global nonprofit working in local communities across all 50 states in the U.S., Puerto Rico, and more than 70 countries. Families and individuals in need of a hand up partner with Habitat for Humanity to build or improve a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. Through financial support, volunteering or adding a voice to support affordable housing, everyone can help families achieve the strength, stability and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves. Through shelter, we empower. To learn more, visit habitat.org.