Stephan van Kruisselberge appointed CEO of Light & Living
12TH JANUARY 2021
Light & Living (Lightmakers B.V.), a Dutch brand of home décor backed by Bluegem II, has announced the appointment of Stephan van Kruisselberge as the new CEO of the company.
Light Living was founded in 1971 by the previous CEO Robin Vlug. The brand offers to retailers and consumers indoor decorative light fixtures, lamp shades manufactured in the Netherlands, home decoration objects, and small indoor furniture. Over the years and under Robin Vlug’s leadership, the company has become a regional leader in small home décor, with approximately €55m Gross Sales in 2020. In June 2020, the company also acquired Parlane, a home décor brand based in the UK.
Stephan Van Kruisselberge graduated from Erasmus University in Rotterdam and holds Post Doctorate degrees from University of Groningen and Northwestern University. Stephan has an extensive experience in the consumer industry. He started his career at Henkel, as Brand & Account Manager, before holding various C-Level and CEO roles in consumer businesses, including at TomTom Int B.V. and NYDJ. Stephan spent the last few years developing and growing Oilily, a famous Dutch lifestyle brand, as the company’s CEO.
Stephan Van Kruisselberge said:
“I am very excited to join our thriving affordable luxury lifestyle business as CEO. Our seasoned and energetic team is ready to expand both geographically and go multi-channel and I am honoured to lead this expansion and drive the digitalization of our business.”
Following Stephan’s appointment as CEO, Robin Vlug, the Founder and previous CEO of Light & Living, will remain heavily involved in the Company’s operations as Executive Chairman.
“We are thrilled to have Stephan onboard. He is a seasoned CEO who combines both sector experience in home décor and deep expertise in growing digital businesses. We thank Robin for his successful spell as the leader of this organisation and look forward to benefit further from his insights and guidance as Executive Chairman. These are exciting times for Light & Living, with more growth across European countries, ongoing expansion in the USA and upcoming acquisitions of complementary brands.”
Mathieu Develay, Investment Director and Head of Operations in Benelux for Bluegem.