Lindal Group, a developer and manufacturer of valves, actuators and spray caps for aerosol products, has a new leader in the Americas, with the appointment of Robert F. Brands to the position of president-Americas.

Brands will be responsible for western hemisphere P&L, operations, marketing, sales and customer relations in all market sectors, including cosmetics, household, pharmaceuticals, food industry and the technical industry.

He will be based in the U.S. and will report directly to Francois-Xavier Gilbert.

“Robert’s international success as a product innovator and cross-functional team leader will help accelerate Lindal Group growth throughout the Americas,” Gilbert said. “His proven successes to connect with America’s customers and prospects are without peer, and his direct experience in providing packaging solutions will enable him to make an immediate impact.”

Most recently, Brands was managing director of the personal care division of Rexam, which includes dispensing systems, makeup and home and personal care businesses. In that position he was responsible for P&L, worldwide marketing and sales, operations and R&D. The Rexam division represented about $1 billlion in sales, 25 sites worldwide, and about 11,000 employees in three business units. After Rexam’s acquisition of Airspray NV in May of 2006 and until August of 2007, Brands was responsible for Rexam Dispensing Systems with 11 sites and about $400 million in sales.

Under Brands’ stewardship as president of Airspray Int’l, Inc. since 1998 and since 2004 as CEO of the Dutch public company, Airspray delivered consistent double-digit profitable growth. Airspray pioneered the use of mechanical, one-touch foam dispensers and popularized their use in a variety of personal care and household product market categories. Today, such foamers are used worldwide and are found throughout the typical consumer’s household.

Prior to joining Airspray in 1998, Brands was vice president – marketing of Kohler Company, where he led marketing efforts for Kohler Plumbing Fixtures (1995 to 1998), an $800 million operating unit. Here, he was responsible for profitability, product management, pricing, market research and marketing services.