This month, members of the design world are moving on up as a series of promotions sweep the industry. Read on for Business of Home’s monthly roundup of arrivals and departures in design, manufacturing, media and more.

To the Trade

Kravet recently announced a series of promotions at the executive level, appointing Alana Moskowitz as vice president of communication, Alice Guercio as senior vice president of product development coordination, Antoinette Ardizzone as senior vice president of customer service and education, Baliji Kandru as vice president of Oracle development, Carol Price as vice president of finance, Danielle St. George as vice president of product development, Eugene Cordi as senior vice president of infrastructure and security, Karen Keating as vice president of product development, and Kyle Corey as senior vice president of floor coverings. Additionally, the brand brought on new hire Allie Federle to serve as a public relations and events associate.

At Sattler Outdura, Mariia Elizarova has been promoted to senior designer for all Outdura casual furniture and Sattler shade fabrics. Elizarova has been with the Outdura team since 2015, lending her skills as an artist and designer specializing in woven textiles, fashion, prints, patterns and illustration, with a bachelor’s degree in applied arts from Saint-Petersburg State University in Russia and a master’s in textile art and design from the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture in Helsinki, Finland.

Natural stone and tile resource Walker Zanger has appointed Michael Castro to general manager. Castro comes to the company with more than 25 years of industry experience, and most recently served as North American sales director at Lapitec S.p.a. and architectural outside sales manager at Stone Source.

Moore & Giles has welcomed Erica Kerns as the company’s new vice president of merchandising. Kerns comes to the position with more than 15 years of experience in a variety of leadership positions at fashion brand J.Crew, and will translate those skills in her new position as she supplies creative vision and direction for Moore & Giles’s leather collections.

Design & Architecture

Premier welcomes Robin Bellerby as the full-service firm’s new senior vice president of architecture, based in Dallas. Previously, Bellerby served as a principal at Humphreys & Partners Architects, where she led production and construction on high-profile projects from design development through to completion.

Nelson Worldwide has brought on Rachael Lewis as regional design leader based in the firm’s Seattle office. In the new role, Lewis will build upon more than two decades of experience in design, brand development and team management in the hospitality industry.

Perkins&Will has appointed Robert Clemens as the new director of operations and associate principal at the firm’s New York studio. Clemens brings more than 22 years of industry experience working as a licensed architect in New York’s business community, and has led teams on large-scale projects including the construction of a performing arts center inside a WPA building in Oklahoma City.

Design firm WATG has announced the appointment of Jeremy Heyes as managing director of its London office. Heyes initially joined the team at WATG in 1992 and is currently serving his third term on the company’s board of directors, though his career in planning and architecture spans 35 years and a variety of hospitality and entertainment design projects.

Washington, D.C.–based GrizForm Design Architects has welcomed three new team members to the firm. Joining as project architect is Joseph McKenley, who obtained his bachelor’s degree in architectural studies in his hometown of Kingston, Jamaica before receiving his master’s of architecture from the University of Maryland, where he continues to serve as a design studio lecturer. Both Olivia Turner and Stephanie Sargon have joined the firm as project designers—Turner has previously worked on multifamily residential spaces, along with hospitality, workplaces, upscale student housing and senior living projects, while Sargon brings seven years of experience working in residential and commercial hospitality design in New York.

Los Angeles–based firm XTEN Architecture has promoted Daniel Feig to the associate level. A graduate of UC Berkeley and UCLA, Feig has been with the company since 2015 and will oversee project management, marketing and business development initiatives in the new role.

Salt Lake City–based architecture and design firm MHTN Architects recently promoted 17 team members across the firm at the associate, director, associate principal, principal board director and vice president levels. At the principal and executive levels, those appointments included Mark Peterson as vice president and chief operating officer, Scott Later and Clifford Curtis as principals for K–12 education projects, Heather Knighton as principal for marketing, Ryan Berry as principal for technology environments, Randall Knight as principal and project manager and Ryan Wallace as principal for planning, landscape architecture and municipality.

Media & PR

Doug Olson has started a new position as president and chief media officer at A360Media—a company which owns and operates celebrity and health and fitness media titles like US Weekly and Men’s Journal—after recently departing his role as president of Meredith Magazines & GM National Media Group, where he served for more than 20 years. The news comes after the magazine giant was acquired by media publishing group Dotdash for $2.7 billion earlier this month, in a deal that will combine both companies under the new joint name Dotdash Meredith.

Leslie Clagett has taken the helm at Kitchen & Bath Business as the title’s new managing editor. Clagett served most recently as content manager for Hausman LLC, and previously held editorial roles as Kitchen & Bath’s editor in chief and founder of Kbculture.com.

At The Consultancy PR, Rachel Hillman has joined as a vice president based in New York. Hillman brings more than 14 years of experience, including serving most recently as a vice president at The Cru, a Sydney, Australia–based luxury lifestyle agency. Also joining the team in the role of public relations coordinator are Chloe La Motta and Hayley Simpson—La Motta joins from a public relations internship at CLD PR, while Simpson comes from a most recent internship position with Alison Brod Marketing + Communications and L.E.R. PR. Meanwhile, the team has also issued a series of promotions, with Francesco Tribuzio now serving as senior director, Katie Dusenbury as social media account director, Michelle Garay as account manager and Hannah Coakley as account executive.

Retail & Manufacturing

Elizabeth Eakins has announced her departure from Holland & Sherry, where she served as creative director of the rug and textile business she founded, Elizabeth Eakins Inc., which was established in 1978 and acquired by H&S in 2018. Eakins founded the eponymous textile company as a one-person operation built on an appreciation for textile design and the discipline of doing things by hand. “These values live on today and will continue to be an intrinsic part of the Elizabeth Eakins company,” read a statement the brand posted on its Instagram account.

Good’s Home Furnishings has tapped industry veteran Kevin Bowman as the luxury furniture retailer’s next president and chief executive officer. Previously, Bowman served for three years as president of luxury upholstery and case goods manufacturer Hickory Chair—prior to that, he served in executive positions at industry brands such as Heritage Home Group, Avalon Furniture, Stanley Furniture and Thomasville Furniture Industries. According to Home News Now, Bowman is also an owner in Good’s Home Furnishings, as stated on his LinkedIn profile.

New York–based retailer Roman and Williams Guild has shifted to a bicoastal enterprise with the appointment and promotion of Austin Whittle, previously the company’s professional sales director, to director of West Coast sales. Based in Los Angeles, Whittle will travel throughout the Western U.S. to meet with members of the trade community, conduct on-site design consultations for private residential clients and serve as a liaison for commercial projects.

Lexi Miller has joined Brizo as the brand’s newest marketing manager. Miller’s experience in the field includes leading public relations for the White Good Agency with clients such as NBKA and KBIS, along with previous positions at Savannah College of Art and Design, Camuto Group, Saks Fifth Avenue and Bottega Veneta.

At the family-owned Italian kitchen appliance manufacturer Bertazzoni, sixth-generation family member Nicola Bertazzoni has been promoted to the role of chief operating officer. Working alongside his father and CEO Paolo Bertazzoni, Nicola will work to reinforce the company and develop new and existing opportunities.

British brand OKA has named Michael Schleuse as U.S. trade director for the East Coast. An industry veteran with more than 20 years experience, Schleuse will further build the company’s growing trade program as it expands to Westport, Connecticut in April 2022.

Surfacing materials provider Nemo Tile + Stone recently hired Lester Gassert in the role of vice president of sales, to which he brings more than 20 years of sales experience in the commercial architecture and design industries. Also joining the team is Liza Harper in the role of sales support manager, which builds upon her more than 15 year years of experience in the contract and high-end residential design industry.

At textile and performance solutions provider Glen Raven Inc., Marc Austein has been tapped as the company’s new vice president of corporate development. Prior to joining Glen Raven, Austein served as senior director of strategy and corporate development at Tyson Foods, overseeing strategic planning for the company’s $9 billion Prepared Foods Segment.

Industry Organizations

The High Point Market Authority has welcomed Alex Shuford III as chair of its board of directors. The current CEO of the Rock House Farm family of brands and Century Furniture, Schuford has served on the board and executive committee since 2018, and now follows Dudley Moore, Jr. president of Otto & Moore, as he moves to the role of immediate past chair. Also joining the board is Christi Barbour, founder of Barbour Spangle Design, who assumes the role of vice chair after serving on the HPMA board and executive committee for three years.

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