Spring is here, and with the new season comes a fresh batch of new hires. Read on for Business of Home’s monthly roundup of arrivals and departures in design, manufacturing, media and more.
TO THE TRADE
After more than 30 years at the helm of Knoll Inc., former chairman and CEO Andrew Cogan has accepted a position as CEO of luxury lighting brand Sonneman. Before leaving Knoll in 2021, Cogan helped facilitate the $1.8 billion sale of the company to Herman Miller, a merger that capped off decades of his leadership. Having served as a board director at Sonneman since September 2021, Cogan replaces Sonny Park, who will stay on as executive chairman of the board.
In conjunction with its 75th anniversary, Kneedler Fauchère has announced two new additions to its executive management team: Gina DeWitt and Quinn Tran. DeWitt has been a leader at the company since 2004, when she became its vice president of sales and marketing, though most recently she served as its president of showrooms. Tran’s 20-year tenure at Kneedler Fauchère has brought him to his current position of vice president of finance. Together, the two new shareholders will join COO Doug Kinzley and CEO and creative director George Massar to make up the company’s expanded executive management team.
Martinsville, Virginia–based manufacturer Hooker Furnishings has appointed Douglas Estremadoyro as its new senior vice president of business transformation and strategic projects. He joins the company from furniture brand Four Hands, where he served as vice president of business innovations. In the new position, Estremadoyro will be responsible for company-wide strategic planning.
DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE
Licensing and design company Stacy Garcia Inc. has hired Allen Rolleri as its new director of licensing and business development. With more than 25 years of industry experience, Rolleri will work to advance relationships with existing licensing partners, expand sales and marketing in Stacy Garcia’s hospitality division and generate new revenue streams in new product categories.
Co-living platform Common has promoted Hayeon Shim to the position of managing director of its in-house interior design team, Studio. Bringing more than 12 years of architectural experience to the role, Shim will oversee the 22,000 units currently being developed for the company.
Brooklyn–based architecture and design firm Crème has named Masako Fukuoka as its new director. Fukuoka joins the firm from Jeffrey Beers International, where for 20 years she served as principal and design director. In the new role, Fukuoka will support Crème principal Jun Aizaki in leading the firm’s global operations.
Architect Louis Kaufman has joined global firm De Reus Architects as principal, bringing more than 35 years of professional experience to the position. Having worked extensively on both residential and commercial projects, Kaufman will be engaged across the practice from design and management to business development.
Global design firm Olson Kundig has expanded its ownership group with the elevation of nine principals to become principal-owners: Marlene Chen, Jerry Garcia, Edward Lalonde, Blair Payson, Steven Rainville, Daniel Ralls, Jamie Slagel, Enrique Vela and Ming-Lee Yuan. With the added ownership stake, the nine principal-owners will join Olson Kundig’s five existing owners—Tom Kundig, Kirsten Ring Murray, Alan Maskin, Kevin Kudo-King and Hemanshu Parwani, as well as principal and founder Jim Olson—to lead the firm into its next generation.
Global architecture and design firm Perkins Eastman welcomes three new members to its executive committee: Hilary Kinder Bertsch, Barbara Mullenex and Supriya Thyagarajan, each managing principals at the firm’s studios in Austin, Texas, Washington, D.C., and Mumbai, India, respectively. Bertsch, Mullenex and Thyagarajan will join nine others on the executive committee to oversee the firm’s operations.
Spa and wellness design firm Tlee Spas + Wellness has named Jeanie Klueter as its new architect and design specialist. Klueter has spent much of her 30-year career at global architectural firm Wimberly, Allison, Tong & Goo, where she served as its director of spa and wellness. In the new role, she will lead the firm’s expanded design capabilities, collaborating closely with project teams to streamline the design process.
Luxury kitchen design and manufacturing company Bakes & Kropp has named T. Russell DeBose as senior designer for the Florida region, an appointment that comes with its expansion into this new market. DeBose comes to the position with more than 35 years of design experience and will work alongside co-founder and head of design Bob Bakes to service homeowners across South Florida.
New York–based firm Harrison Design has named Rebecca Ascher as director. Ascher comes to the company from Ascher Davis Architects, where she was co-owner. With more than 27 years of architecture and interior design experience, she will oversee all aspects of project design and management.
New York–based architecture and design firm TPG Architecture has promoted Ken Tracey to managing executive. Having worked at the company since 2011, Tracey’s 25-year-long architecture career will now bring him to work alongside the firm’s leadership, where he will assist in TPG’s growth.
TPG Architecture has also promoted Jennifer Haney, Doug West and Ricardo Nabholz to the position of managing associate, where each will work alongside the firm’s leadership to oversee operations and expansion.
Washington, D.C.–based design firm //3877 welcomes architect Adriana Urbistondo Pérez and interior designer Emily Perry to its team. Pérez joins the firm having worked for five years on single-family and multi-family residences, while Perry is joining with five years of interior design experience, focusing on //3877’s hospitality portfolio with a concentration in restaurants.
Architecture, interior design, planning, branded environments and virtual design firm SGA has named five new principals: Matthew Fickett, Joe Mamayek, Brooks Slocum, Brian Slozak and Eric Svahn.
SGA has also announced the promotion of seven team members to the position of director: Scott Barnholt, David Enriquez, Marc Gabriel and Walker Shanklin have been promoted to directors, architecture; Caroline Bergin and Amanda Vicari have been named directors, interior design; and Jessica Randolph is now director, project management.
MEDIA & PR
Hearst Magazines has appointed Regina Buckley as its new CFO. Buckley comes to the position from The Guardian News & Media, North America, where for the past two years she served as the company’s president, having formerly served as its CFO. Bringing more than 20 years of media experience to the role, she will report to Hearst president Debi Chirichella while working to advance innovation.
In conjunction with its 30-year anniversary, PR firm Sunshine Sachs has rebranded and elevated two members to leadership roles. Moving forward, Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis will operate under the co-presidency of Keleigh Thomas Morgan and Heather Lylis, who join founder Ken Sunshine and CEO Shawn Sachs.
Brooke Flores has accepted a new position as account director at Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis. Flores joins the company from Azione, where she worked with such industry clients as West Elm, Year & Day and Caraway.
After 12 years at VP+C, a marketing and communications agency that specializes in design, wellness, retail and beauty, Michelle Shen is leaving the company to start a new position at London–based Diffusion PR.
RETAIL & MANUFACTURING
Wayfair has announced Ryan Fitzpatrick as the company's new vice president of furniture and decor, where he will oversee the category’s management teams. In 2006, Fitzpatrick joined the retail giant as an assistant marketing manager, working his way through the ranks, most recently serving as director of the furniture, decor and textiles category.
Custom furniture retailer Interior Define has named three new additions to its C-suite: Bahniman Hazarika as chief financial officer; William Savage as chief supply chain officer; and Chris Travers as chief business officer and general counsel. Hazarika joins the team from The Home Depot, where for more than two years he served as the company’s finance director and business unit CFO. Before joining Interior Define, Savage held merchandising and supply chain positions across home brands in the U.S. and abroad, having worked at companies like Pier 1, Sears and Tesco. Travers comes to the brand from Bonobos, where he served as general counsel and CBO, having worked as VP and COO of digital consumer brands at Walmart eCommerce. Together, the new chief execs will work together toward the company’s 200 percent retail expansion plan, with more than 30 brick-and-mortar store openings slated for 2022.
After 2 years, Krista Stelling is leaving her position of senior vice president of sales and marketing at OKA to launch Quadrillion Partners, a brand consulting firm. Having ushered the British home goods brand into the U.S. market, Stelling will focus on brand development, growth planning, customer processes, sales & lead development and marketing at Quadrillion.
Furniture and home retailer Room & Board has announced Emily McGarvey as its new sustainability director. She comes to the position with 20 years of experience in the field, most recently having worked as Target’s director of corporate social responsibility. In the role, McGarvey will create a framework to expand the Room & Board’s sustainability strategies, advancing environmentally sound practices in the company’s furniture production.
Los Angeles–based home lifestyle brand Parachute has appointed Jeff Barker as the company’s new CFO. Having most recently worked as CFO and COO at JLab, a personal audio-device company, Barker comes to Parachute with more than 20 years of strategic and financial operation experience.
Mattress and bedding retailer Purple Innovation has named Jeff Hutchings as its new chief innovation officer, where he will oversee growth and strategy development. Most recently having served as the chief product officer at Skullcandy Inc., Hutchings comes to Purple with more than 20 years of corporate technology and leadership experience.
Atlanta–based Serta Simmons Bedding has named two new members to its C-suite: John Linker will join the company as chief financial officer and Shoukat Ali Bhamani as chief technology officer. Linker brings more than 25 years of experience to the position and will oversee the company’s finance organization; Bhamani also brings 25 years of experience and will be responsible for all aspects of technology implementation and innovation, including internal technology systems as well as the company’s direct-to-consumer platforms.
E-commerce lighting and home decor brand Shades of Light has announced the promotion of Sean Acton to chief financial officer. Since 2019, Acton has worked as the company’s controller but will now step up to oversee the purchasing, inventory and production teams, in addition to the accounting team which he already oversaw.
Industry Organizations
Scarlette Tapp is the new executive director of the Sustainable Furnishings Council and Sustainable Furnishings Education Fund, succeeding Susan Inglis, who served as the SFC’s executive director since 2007. Tapp comes to the position from Artists Guild of Spartanburg, where she served as executive director. At SFC, she will oversee the organization’s ongoing efforts to help home furnishings companies reduce their environmental footprints, additionally helping consumers discover more conscious products and design services.
The American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame Foundation has expanded CEO Karen McNeill’s responsibilities to include the additional position of chief vision officer. Having led the foundation for 16 years, McNeill will now focus on new opportunities, expanding educational programming and developing its Leadership Initiative.
Nonprofit CERF+, whose mission supports artists with financial relief, advocacy and education programs, has announced that executive director Cornelia Carey will be stepping down this fall after 25 years of leadership. Throughout her tenure, Carey brought the organization to prominence, expanding its reach to all 50 states, bringing support to marginalized artists across the U.S.
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