Daikin Applied names new CEO and two chief operating officers

Daikin Applied announced three leadership appointments effective July 1, 2026, naming Yu Nishiwaki as President and Chief Executive Officer, James Moe as Chief Operating Officer, and Hirokazu Hirao as Chief Operating Officer of Manufacturing.

Nishiwaki previously served as the company's COO since 2023 and has nearly three decades of experience with Daikin, including roles as General Manager for Daikin Air Conditioning Italy and Vice President of Strategic Planning for Daikin Applied Americas.

Moe, who joined Daikin Applied in 2016, will oversee the company's Air Handling, Chiller and Applied Terminal Systems business units, in addition to his existing responsibilities covering sales, service, solutions and Alliance Air Products.

Hirao joins Daikin Applied after more than 37 years with Daikin Industries, Ltd., where he most recently served as General Manager of the company's global Applied Solutions Business Division. In his new role, he will focus on manufacturing operations and production scaling.

The appointments come as Daikin Applied has announced a $163 million research and development test lab at its Plymouth, Minnesota headquarters, along with strategic acquisitions in liquid cooling and custom air-handling. The company is a subsidiary of Tokyo-listed Daikin Industries, Ltd.

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