Energy Recovery Announces New Leadership Appointments in CO2 Refrigeration and HR

Energy Recovery, Inc. has announced two key appointments to support its growth strategy. Ricardo Freitas has been named Vice President and General Manager of the company's CO2 refrigeration business, and Matt Hostetler has been appointed as Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO).

David Moon, President and CEO of Energy Recovery, stated, “Energy Recovery is entering a new phase, and optimizing our product, processes, and talent is critical to fueling our future growth plans. Ricardo and Matt are proven global leaders with unique experience and skills that will help us capture the opportunities before us. Both will play an integral role in executing our strategy and accelerating our growth into new markets.”

Mr. Freitas, Vice President and General Manager, CO2, will lead Energy Recovery’s expansion into commercial and industrial refrigeration markets and other related industry verticals. He will join the company on June 3 and will be based in Europe. Mr. Freitas possesses deep commercial and industrial experience in the heating and cooling industry, honed over a three-decade executive, operations, and sales career. He most recently led Lennox International’s EMEA business for seven years as Vice President and General Manager. He was previously General Manager of Lennox’s South American refrigeration business and served in various leadership roles with Carrier Corporation. Mr. Freitas holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering as well as an MBA from Fundação Getulio Vargas.

“The global CO2 refrigeration business is poised for tremendous growth, and Energy Recovery is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the opportunity,” Mr. Freitas said. “The company’s proven pressure exchanger technology and early successes in CO2 refrigeration present a compelling solution for an established marketplace that needs more innovation to meet evolving regulatory, commercial, and stakeholder expectations. I am honored to join this talented team and look forward to helping Energy Recovery realize its full potential.”

Mr. Hostetler, the company’s first CHRO, brings more than 20 years’ experience implementing talent strategies that drive business performance, including organizational design, leadership optimization, and retention-focused workforce culture programs. Mr. Hostetler will join Energy Recovery on June 19 and will strengthen the company’s position as a leading employer, recruiting and developing talent in support of the company’s growth across all lines of business. He previously served in a variety of executive HR roles, including Chief People Officer of Sientra, Vice President of Human Resources for Kite (an independent company within Gilead Sciences), and leadership positions with Amgen and Honeywell. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a master’s degree in Labor and Human Resources from Ohio State University.

“Energy Recovery’s track record of leadership in technology and sustainability speaks directly to the quality and culture of its team, which has been a key driver of its success,” Mr. Hostetler said. “I am excited to help the company build on that by ensuring, from recruitment to talent development, we expand that leadership position and are equipped to execute and deliver value to all our stakeholders.”