Royal Philips today announced the appointment of Brent Shafer as chief executive officer of Philips North America, the company’s single largest market.

Shafer will be responsible for strengthening Philips’ culture of entrepreneurship and growing revenue and market share in the United States and Canada. He will succeed Greg Sebasky, who retired from Philips on Feb. 3, and he will report directly to Royal Philips’ CEO, Frans van Houten.

“Given the size and the dynamics of the North American market, and the opportunities that we see, we are taking decisive actions to boost new business development and grow faster than the market,” said Frans van Houten, CEO of Royal Philips. “In Brent we have the right leader to do just that as he brings a strong track record, both within Philips and outside of the company, of building successful businesses based on entrepreneurship and meaningful innovations.”

With more than 21,500 employees and operations at 57 major facilities in 26 U.S. states and three Canadian provinces, Philips North America focuses on serving its customers by leveraging its portfolio in healthcare, consumer lifestyle and lighting. Shafer will work closely with the North American Healthcare team, which offers patient care solutions for the hospital and the home.

Shafer brings market and business experience to his new role through various senior leadership positions within Philips and other companies including General Electric, Hill-Rom and Hewlett-Packard.