Simone Vingerhoets has been named new executive vice president of Roset USA Corp., the French brand known for its furniture, lighting, textiles, rugs and bed linens. She had previously served as North American CEO at Wilkhahn, the office and conferencing furniture brand, and as executive vice president of Finnish furniture brand Artek.
“As an ambitious leader in the architecture and design world, Simone Vingerhoets is poised to successfully take Ligne Roset to the next level in the Americas,” explains Antoine Roset. Vingerhoets replaced Roset, who is returning to the company headquarters in France. “Her passion and knowledge give me complete confidence as I hand over the reins in order to grow the company,” says Roset. “I know our current network and A&D contacts will work well with Simone moving forward and can’t wait to see what they create together.”
Vingerhoets chats with EAL about her new role at the company (which has been family run since its start in 1860), what she will bring to bear from her years in the contract world, and what interior designers, in particular, can expect from the storied brand.
How will your experience at Wilkhahn, Artek and Alessi inform your new role?
My years of experience in the retail, wholesale and contract world are essential for a brand like Ligne Roset that is operating globally in the three different fields. Having worked for major brands in the industry, I understand the values, and am able to protect and communicate the brand’s identity to our clients and potential new clients.
The last two years in contract business made me realize that there are new demands in this particular market that have not been met by the existing contract furniture manufacturers, and I believe Ligne Roset is able to fill some of these gaps. Due to the knowledge and flexibility of the team of engineers at our headquarters in Briord, France, we can develop customized solutions for our clients at a reasonable cost. This is the beauty of manufacturing in-house.
The last two years in contract business made me realize that there are new demands in this particular market that have not been met by the existing contract furniture manufacturers.
What can interior designers expect from the brand over the next six months? Next year?
Interior designers will find support in realizing their vision of high-end products at a wide price scale. Most Ligne Roset upholstery designs, for example, come with hundreds of finish and color options to fit not only the aesthetic of a client, but also the lifestyle.
In this way, interior designers can choose materiality as it relates to livability preferences, such as how the space they’re creating will be used, if the client has young kids, teenagers, pets, a lot of natural sunlight, etc. In addition, interior designers are now being brought into workplace design in addition to residential, as offices strive to feel more like home. Ligne Roset is an ideal partner for projects like this, due to its mix of creativity in design and craftsmanship for durability.
What is your philosophy toward e-commerce? How will that play out at Ligne Roset?
Ligne Roset launched its own e-commerce website last year. E-commerce is a tool that supports the existing brick-and-mortar stores outside their opening hours and gives customers that are not able to visit a store in their neighborhood access to our product line wherever they are located in North America.
