2022 has finally arrived—and for a slate of industry professionals, the new year means making a fresh start at a new company or a new promotion. Read on for Business of Home’s monthly roundup of arrivals and departures in design, manufacturing, media and more.

To the Trade

Thibaut has brought on a new vice president of digital transformation, tapping Eli Wendkos to fill the role. Wendkos joins the team from previous digital positions with brands such as Coca-Cola, Starbucks and, most recently, Lowe’s. In other company news, Thibaut is expanding its salesforce in the Southeast, welcoming a roster of new sales representatives that include KJ Morgan to service North Carolina, Amber Nyberg to oversee South Carolina, and Stephanie Bone to cover north Texas.

Hooker Furnishings has announced three promotions: Alexandra Parrish steps into the role of vice president of e-commerce within the HMI Group; Matt Angle becomes vice president of e-commerce and digital marketing for Hooker Legacy Brands; and Sheila Mullins is now vice president and group controller of HMI Group, where she will be responsible for managing and directing financial planning and budget management for the company. Parrish has served the company for the past 13 years, holding positions such as customer service manager, senior manager key accounts, sales operations manager, and director of sales, operations, e-commerce and territory accounts within HMI Group. Angle, who has been at Hooker Furnishings for nearly seven years, previously served the company as an e-commerce marketing manager and director of e-commerce and digital marketing.

Stacy Montero has joined Whirlpool Corp. as manager, overseeing JennAir Brand Management and the company’s showroom in the A&D building. Montero most recently served as Cosentino’s showroom manager in the A&D Building and previously worked in public relations within the design industry, working as an account executive at Head & Hand PR and as communications director at Upspring PR.

Madera Surfaces welcomes Bobby Contini as the brand’s new senior director of sales. Contini—who most recently served as managing director at LV Wood—joins the company at its New York flagship showroom, where he’ll work with both the East and West coast teams.

Design & Architecture

JCJ Architecture has announced a new slate of promotions, including the appointment of four new principals: Amy Hull, Randall Hull, Sharmista Mitra-Kelly and Jeanne Muscolino. The group has promoted Chris A. Boldt, Grace E. Fabian, Marek Falkowski, Larry Sassi, and Danae Tinsley to the senior associate level, while raising 10 new team members to the associate level. The cohort includes Michelle Chapman, David Hubbard, Jordan Kazmierczak, Megan Lamontagne, Dustin Lombardi, Sean Pendley, Emma Plagemann, Lisa St. Amand and Brian Stone.

Premier, an architecture, interior design, procurement, and project management firm, has announced that CEO Hector Sanchez has been appointed head of hotel development for the firm’s parent company, Ashford Inc. Sanchez will continue his role as CEO of Premier while working in his new position at the alternative asset management company.

Media & PR

Business of Home welcomes Millie Massa to the role of advertising and events coordinator. An industry veteran, Massa joins the team from previous marketing positions with Cohen Design Centers and the D&D Building. Elsewhere at BOH, Kim Trepanier has been named associate publisher after serving for nearly four years as marketing manager.

Magazine publisher Hearst has tapped Ken Downing for the launch of The Tower, an online marketplace made up of four individual stores hosted on one shared platform, executed with back-end technology from media brands Elle, Bazaar, Town & Country and Esquire. In the role of chief brand officer of Hearst Luxury Collection Commerce, Downing will oversee the vision, creation and marketing strategy of the new e-commerce platform, which will launch next spring with products curated by editors from each magazine.

At The Consultancy PR, Christina Recchi has joined the team as a public relations coordinator based in the company’s New York City office, after most recently working as a digital marketing specialist for a recipe-sharing platform called FoodSocial.io. TCPR also welcomes Abby Addams, who begins her role as senior account executive after serving as an account manager at Blue Medium, a boutique arts and culture agency. Additionally, two team members—Nicole Swansen and Allie Saliani—have been promoted from account executive to senior account executive.

Luxury book publisher Assouline has announced the appointment of Alex Assouline to chief of operations for brand and strategy. Assouline transitions from a previous role as global vice president to the new position. He will help expand the company’s business in the U.S., Europe, Asia and the Middle East and further develop internal operations as well as partnerships and collaborations.

Retail & Manufacturing

Andrew Koenig has been promoted to chief executive officer of City Furniture after being named president just three years ago, Home News Now reports. His father, company co-founder Keith Koenig, will stay on as chairman of the home furnishings retailer, which operates both City Furniture and Ashley Home Stores across Florida. “I had always dreamed of one day having the opportunity to lead this amazing organization the same way my uncle and father, Kevin and Keith, did over the years,” the new CEO announced on LinkedIn. “I am excited to keep this (now second-generation) family business moving in the right direction for the many years to come.”

Coop Home Goods, a producer of memory foam pillows and bedding accessories, has appointed Steve Holley as its new chief executive officer. Before joining the company, Holley served as CEO of global eyewear company Dita Group, along with holding leadership roles at private equity firms Altamont Capital Partners and Main Post Partners and global brands Oakley and Mattel.

Industry Organizations

At the Bienenstock Furniture Library, home furnishings industry veteran Patti Carpenter has been appointed to the board of directors for a two-year term effective this month. A New York–based consumer trends expert and principal of Carpenter + Company and Trendscope, Carpenter will support the organization’s annual Student Design Summit, which launched this year.

Homepage image: Shutterstock