New York – March 2022 – SONNEMAN – A Way of Light, renowned pioneer, innovator, and leader of modern lighting, announces the appointment of Andrew B. Cogan as CEO.
Mr. Cogan has served as a Board Director of SONNEMAN since September 2021. As part of this transition, Sonny Park, SONNEMAN’s co-founder and CEO will become Executive Chairman and remain on the SONNEMAN board.
Robert Sonneman, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer noted, “Sonny and I are excited to welcome Andrew as a partner, and look forward to working with him as we continue to expand our brand across multiple channels and new product categories. Andrew understands what it means to lead an innovative brand like ours, and will help us continue to foster a culture committed to design excellence in everything we do.”
Prior to joining SONNEMAN, Mr. Cogan served more than 30 years as the Chairman & CEO of Knoll, Inc. where he led Knoll through significant cyclical and secular changes in the economy and the workplace. He rebalanced the company’s mix of business in terms of office and residential exposure through organic sales growth, direct-to-consumer e-commerce channels and design initiatives, as well as through acquisitions. In 2011, Knoll was the recipient of the National Design Award for Corporate and Institutional Achievement from the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. Before leaving Knoll in 2021, Mr. Cogan helped engineer the sale of Knoll to Herman Miller in a $1.8B transaction that resulted in the creation of the preeminent global leader in modern design.
Mr. Cogan commented, “I am so pleased to lead such an iconic and modern design-driven brand. Over the past two decades, Robert Sonneman and the team have been leaders in creating illumination from the art of technology. Today, SONNEMAN is a multichannel business serving a broad range of commercial and residential markets. SONNEMAN’s designs are known for their minimalism, sophisticated simplicity, beauty, and performance.” Mr. Cogan added, “I believe that SONNEMAN is exceptionally well-positioned to take advantage of a rebound in commercial construction and hospitality projects, as well as increased investment in the home as hybrid work grows and people move into larger homes with more space to illuminate inside and out. I look forward to working closely with Robert, Sonny, and the talented team at SONNEMAN as we invest in growth and innovation.”
In addition to taking on the CEO role at SONNEMAN, Mr. Cogan will also join Dunes Point Capital as a Senior Advisor.
Mr. Cogan is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Harvard College, where he majored in Social Studies. He currently serves as the Chairman of The Rug Company and a Director of the American Woodmark Corporation. He additionally serves on the External Advisory Board of the Master in Design Engineering Program at Harvard University.
About SONNEMAN – A Way of Light:
SONNEMAN – A Way of Light is closely connected to Robert Sonneman, the designer, and his commitment to modernist ideals, innovation and the extraordinary quality that is the promise of the brand. Robert Sonneman, “Lighting’s Modern Master,” pioneered modern lighting in the 1960s and ‘70s, making it an art form. Many of his award-winning designs have become classics of the modern era. Acclaimed for clean lines and alliance to form from function, he has been at the forefront of modern design for five decades. His prolific design vocabulary extends through the modern architectural and decorative genres of the 20th century and forward to the contemporary diversity of today.
“We are devoted to creating the extraordinary, free from contrivance, with quality and refinement. We believe that creativity, innovation, and commitment to excellence begins with design and lives in every aspect of everything that we do.” – Robert Sonneman
The company’s design and marketing activities are based in Larchmont, NY. With permanent showrooms at the New York Design Center in New York City and at the Dallas Market Center. The company occupies a brand-new state of the art distribution center in Middletown, NY. SONNEMAN has an extensive network of distribution throughout the United States through lighting showrooms and e-commerce partners, as well as through architectural and designer project specifications for both in-line and custom designs.