Comings & Goings | May 6, 2024

By Aidan Taylor

As the spring flowers bloom, the industry is full of new beginnings, from CEO switchups to new leadership roles. Read on for BOH’s monthly roundup of arrivals and departures in design, manufacturing, media and more.

Retail & Manufacturing

Ohio-based Norwalk Furniture has named Timothy Newlin its new president and CEO. Newlin has a 30-year career in the furniture industry, most recently serving as vice president of Iowa-based furniture company Flexsteel Industries; he steps in following Caroline Hipple’s exit from the role last December.

Flexsteel president Derek P. Schmidt will take on the additional role of CEO, replacing Jerry Dittmer effective July 1. Schmidt joined the company in 2020, and Dittmer started as president and CEO in 2018 after a decadeslong career at furniture company HNI Corporation.

Lighting company Flos has announced a new executive team following the departure of CEO Roberta Silva, who held the position since 2019. The new team consists of Daniel Lalonde, the CEO of parent company Design Holding, who will be the interim CEO of Flos; and Matteo Luoni, the director of group strategy, who will take on the role of deputy CEO.

The Paris-based home and tableware brand L’Objet appointed Stanislas Le Bert as its first CEO. Le Bert was previously the CEO of skin care brand L:a Bruket and the commercial director of beauty brand Byredo.

MarketTime, the wholesale B2B marketplace, has appointed Christine Lee as CEO. Lee has served as executive chairman of the company since 2023 and previously held positions of CEO at payment solutions company BillingTree (now Repay) and president of the U.S. division of financial services company Moneris.

New York–based textile company Designtex has hired Kim Land as president. Previously, Land held the positions of chief marketing officer of Matouk, senior vice president of omnichannel DTC at Knoll and vice president of Godiva’s direct business.

Lighting, furniture and home decor brand Regina Andrew Detroit has appointed Neil MacKenzie chief marketing officer, a new role for the company. MacKenzie had been at Universal Furniture for the past nine years, working his way up from director of marketing to senior vice president of the division while overseeing the brand’s transformation through successful programs and partnerships.

Sherrill Furniture, the North Carolina–based furniture brand, announced a series of leadership changes. Tom Zaliagiris is the new senior vice president of sales after holding the position of vice president of sales for the past eight years; Lacey Griffith is now senior vice president of information technology and customer service; Dax Allen has been promoted to senior vice president of marketing and case good merchandising; Paula Daniels has been promoted from vice president to senior vice president of human resources after nine years; Andy Bass is the new vice president of purchasing after 20 years as the division’s director; and Melody Taylor is the new director of credit following a year as collections manager.

Electrical and appliances manufacturer Legrand announced new leadership roles in its Electrical Wiring Systems division. Scott Bausch, who held the position of vice president and general manager of the Pass & Seymour product line, is filling the newly created role of senior vice president for strategic accounts and revenue operations; Pung Chan will assume the role of Pass & Seymour vice president and general manager after leading the Wiremold and Connectrac product lines; Zac Bridgeman will now oversee Wiremold and Connectrac in addition to his role as vice president and general manager for the Cablofil line; and Kevin Major will be the new general manager of Cablofil after being with the company for 16 years, most recently as the regional vice president of sales for the Charlotte area.

Hooker Furnishings, the Virginia-based furniture maker, announced the addition of three new sales leadership positions. Scot Kanaly joins as vice president of sales for domestic upholstery, having previously served as national sales manager for Norwalk Furniture; William Doherty joins as that division’s director of business development after most recently holding the position of senior vice president of product design and visual merchandising at Palliser Furniture; and Rande LaBrecque has been named national sales manager for BoBo Intriguing Objects after managing the store in Atlanta.

Urbia, the Pennsylvania-based wholesale brand specializing in B2B furniture and home decor, has hired Tori Rooks as its first director of e-commerce. Rooks was previously a product development manager at Wayfair.

Target welcomes Seana Strawn as senior director of design for its home department. Strawn was most recently the country home furnishings and retail design manager for Ikea.

New York–based lighting manufacturer RBW announced an update to its leadership after 17 years in business. Alex Williams, who founded the company alongside Theo Richardson and Charles Brill, is transitioning out of his position as part owner; Richardson and Brill will continue as owners and operators.

New Jersey–based furniture, carpet, leather and fabric brand Jamie Stern appointed three new representatives. San Francisco–based Kymberly Henry will represent Northern California, having previously held a senior sales position for furniture company Poliform; Ashley Jewell, based in the Denver area, will represent the Colorado, Utah and Arizona territories, after previously serving as the architectural sales representative for glass, ceramics and concrete manufacturer Daltile Corporation; while in the Boston area, Mia Stern returns to the company as the representative for New England after a stint as the customer success manager at software solutions company Paperless Parts.

Design & Architecture

San Francisco–based interior design firm Lindsay Gerber Interiors has appointed Brett Northart as CEO. Northart brings a background in tech entrepreneurship, most recently serving as chief operating officer for financial services company Kernel Group Holdings, as well as president of Le Tote, the e-commerce company he founded.

Atlanta-based Norman Davenport Askins has appointed Geoffrey Yovanovic as the architecture firm’s first partner in its 47-year history. Yovanovic, who has been with the company for eight years, will lead it alongside founder Norman Askins.

Historical Concepts, the architecture firm with offices in Atlanta and New York, has promoted Domenick Treschitta to senior principal. Treschitta has been with the firm since 2002 and was promoted to principal in 2012.

Architecture and design firm Multistudio, with has offices from San Francisco to New Orleans, has promoted four designers to principal in conjunction with its 50th anniversary: Aaron Herring in its Phoenix office; and at its Kansas City location, Kelly Dreyer and Graham Smith, who had been associate principals since 2003, and Emily Harrold, who has been with the company since 2018.

Media & PR

Independent fashion-arts publication Cultured welcomes Colin King as design editor at large. King has worked as an interiors stylist at his eponymous company and has developed collections for a range of brands, including The Future Perfect and Audo Copenhagen. At the magazine, he will be in charge of a monthly column called Quick Study, where he will talk with designers about the state of the industry.

Ottavia Palomba has joined the London-based LVMH-owned hospitality company Belmond. Palomba was most recently the communications director of luxury and culture accounts at New York–based PR firm Karla Otto’s Paris outpost.

Hannah Lavine is the new strategic communications manager at Luxe Interiors + Design. Prior to joining the publication, Lavine was the copy and editorial manager for fashion brand MZ Wallace and campaign manager for The Annie Selke Companies; she started her industry career in the market department for Hearst’s House Beautiful, Elle Decor and Veranda.

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