BENTON HARBOR, Mich., Dec. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR) today announced that Lynanne Kunkel has joined the company as vice president, Human Resources (HR), North America Region (NAR) effective January 1, 2010. Kunkel joins Whirlpool from The Procter & Gamble Company.

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Kunkel will be accountable for HR strategy and execution for Whirlpool Corporation's North America business, including building leadership and organizational capability, ensuring HR operational excellence, and creating a diverse and highly engaged workforce. She will report to Mike Todman, president, Whirlpool North America Region and Marc Bitzer, president, U.S. Operations.

"Lynanne brings a broad base of global consumer branded product, Operations, Supply Chain, and 10 years of progressive HR leadership experiences with her from Procter & Gamble," explained David Binkley, senior vice president, Global Human Resources, Whirlpool Corporation. "We will look to Lynanne to quickly assimilate and begin leveraging her experience to accelerate the delivery of the HR strategy across all the region's business units and functions."

Most recently, Kunkel led Human Resources for the Procter & Gamble Global Home Care business where she was accountable for all aspects of HR across the business unit's North America, Europe, Asia and Latin America operations. Kunkel is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA and holds a bachelor's of science degree in Chemical Engineering/Engineering and Public Policy.

About Whirlpool Corporation

Whirlpool Corporation is the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances, with annual sales of approximately $19 billion in 2008, approximately 70,000 employees, and 67 manufacturing and technology research centers around the world. The company markets Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, Jenn-Air, Amana, Brastemp, Consul, Bauknecht and other major brand names to consumers in nearly every country around the world. Additional information about the company can be found at http://www.whirlpoolcorp.com.

SOURCE Whirlpool Corporation