Rusty Zay
About Rusty Zay
Rusty Zay serves as the Chief Commercial Officer at Tennant Company, where he has worked since 2021. He has extensive experience in brand management and sales, having held various leadership roles at Whirlpool Corporation and Maytag Corporation.
Current Role at Tennant Company
Rusty Zay serves as the Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at Tennant Company, a position he has held since 2021. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing commercial strategies and driving sales growth. His leadership focuses on market development and brand management, contributing to the company's objectives in the cleaning solutions industry. Zay's experience in various senior roles within the company has equipped him with a comprehensive understanding of the market landscape.
Previous Experience at Whirlpool Corporation
Prior to his current role, Rusty Zay worked at Whirlpool Corporation in several key positions. He served as General Manager for both the KitchenAid and Jenn-Air brands, overseeing significant brand management and strategic initiatives. His tenure included directing marketing efforts for the $2.2 billion Maytag Brand business and managing the brand strategy for the $900 million KitchenAid Brand Majors business. Zay's experience at Whirlpool spanned from 2005 to 2010.
Career at Maytag Corporation
Rusty Zay held multiple roles at Maytag Corporation, where he contributed to various aspects of brand management and sales growth. He led category management for a $400 million freestanding range business and directed marketing for the Maytag Brand business. Additionally, he drove sales growth for Jenn-Air, Maytag, and Magic Chef brands in key regions as a District Sales Manager. His work at Maytag Corporation laid a strong foundation for his subsequent leadership roles.
Educational Background
Rusty Zay earned a Bachelor of Science in Management from Purdue University Daniels School of Business, completing his studies from 1989 to 1993. This educational background provided him with essential skills in management and business strategy, which he has applied throughout his career in various leadership roles in the appliance and cleaning industries.
Leadership Roles at Tennant Company
At Tennant Company, Rusty Zay has held multiple senior leadership positions. He served as Senior Vice President of Americas, Global Engineering, & Enterprise Strategy Office from 2019 to 2020, followed by a role as Senior Vice President of Technology & Innovation until 2021. These positions involved overseeing strategic initiatives and engineering efforts, contributing to the company's innovation and market competitiveness.