Feb 4 (Reuters) - Industrial gases manufacturer Air

Products said on Tuesday it has named former Linde

executive Eduardo Menezes as its CEO and will succeed

Seifi Ghasemi effective Feb. 7, amid pressure from activist

investors.

Last month, Air Products lost the proxy fight against Mantle

Ridge after shareholders handed victory to the activist investor

which had been pushing the company to replace its 80-year-old

chief, by electing three new directors and unseating the CEO

from the board.

Hedge fund D.E. Shaw abandoned its own campaign for change

to lend support to Mantle Ridge's earlier campaign.

The company also named Wayne Smith as Chairman and Dennis

Reilley as Vice Chairman of the board. Menezes and Dennis

Reilley have held executive positions at rival firm Linde

.