Itron Inc., a Liberty Lake-based maker of automated meter reading technology and related services, says it has appointed to its board of directors Diana Tremblay, vice president of global business services at General Motors Co., and Frank Jaehnert, former president and chief executive officer of Brady Corp. 

The board appointments will go into effect June 1.

In addition, Graham Wilson retired from the board effective May 8.

Tremblay brings nearly 40 years of manufacturing experience to the position. She has been with GM since 1977, during which time she has held a variety of positions in engineering, manufacturing, and labor relations. Most recently, as leader of GM’s newly formed global business services, she has been charged with streamlining administrative processes to improve service quality, reduce complexity, and achieve cost efficiencies of more than 30 percent by 2017.

Jaehnert served as president and chief executive officer of Brady Corp., a $1.2 billion Milwaukee-based global manufacturer of industrial identification and specialty coated material products, from 2003 to 2013. Jaehnert brings 20 years of experience working at a public company where he played a key role in the company’s growth via acquisitions, completing some 30 acquisitions that expanded Brady’s global reach.

“Diana Tremblay and Frank Jaehnert are both ideal candidates for Itron’s board of directors, bringing diverse experience and fresh perspectives to the board,” says Jon Eliassen, Itron’s board chairman, adding, “We look forward to benefiting from Diana’s wealth of knowledge in manufacturing and Frank’s depth of experience growing an international company.” 

“In anticipation of a number of upcoming board retirements, we have been engaged in very proactive and thoughtful succession planning as we refresh our board. I would like to acknowledge and thank Graham Wilson for his many years of service on the board and welcome Diana and Frank,” Eliassen adds.

Philip Mezey, Itron’s president and CEO, says, “As Itron continues to focus on adding business value through software and services, (Tremblay) will bring tremendous insights and expertise to our company with her strong manufacturing background and experience with GM’s services business. We will greatly benefit from (Jaehnert’s) global experience and expertise in strategic acquisitions as we continue to explore growth opportunities.”

Itron provides products and services that measure, manage, and analyze energy and water. Its product portfolio includes electricity, gas, water, and thermal energy measurement devices and control technology; communications systems; and software, as well as managed and consulting services. With thousands of employees supporting nearly 8,000 customers in more than 100 countries, Itron says it strives to apply knowledge and technology to better manage energy and water resources.