The Board includes two new members joining seven returning directors; Michael Mahan is elected Chair
By Dianne M. Pogoda
NKBA’s 2021 board of directors is set to lead the National Kitchen & Bath Association, with newly elected Board Chair Michael Mahan, Vice President of Schneider Electric. Mahan served as Vice Chair for 2020, and he has served on the board since 2018.
“I’m honored to take on the role of Board Chair for 2021,” said Mahan. “The last year was challenging on a number of levels. Working together with my fellow board members and the Association, we kept NKBA strong and the membership engaged under difficult circumstances. I look forward to continuing this work, and I’m confident we will maintain our leadership position, as we strive to add value for our members and advocate for the industry at large.”
Mahan succeeds 2020 chair Allison Lowrie, who will remain on the board.
“We are very grateful to our board members, who volunteer their energy, effort and time — especially as they adapt to the changing conditions for their own businesses,” said Bill Darcy, NKBA CEO. “Their dedication to the association, commitment to the industry and perspective they bring from different sectors of the business is invaluable.
“We’ve worked with Michael for the past three years, during his time running the Monogram Brand at GE, and now with Schneider Electric, and look forward to his guidance as NKBA continues growing its position as the Association leader in member value, engagement, digital content and world-class networking platforms.
“I’d also like to thank our outgoing chair, Allison Lowrie, for her efforts in 2020, and we’re delighted she will remain on the board as a director.”
Two new members have joined the board: Louis M. “Lou” Rohl, founder of House of ROHL, a leader in the plumbing sector and now part of Fortune Brands Global Plumbing Group. A second-generation board member, he is the son of HoR Founder and Kitchen & Bath Hall of Famer Ken Rohl, who also served on the board. Mikael Åkerberg, CEO of nobilia North America, a global leader in cabinetry, also shares his experience in the international business arena.
Board members Lorenzo Marquez, Founder and President of Houston-based Marqet Group and a two-term Chair in 2017 and 2018, and Steve Joseph, Founder and CEO of Smart Home Products in Los Angeles, Calif., and Chair in 2019, have completed their terms and NKBA appreciates their service and leadership.
The new board officially assumes their new positions on Jan. 1.
Officers:
Michael Mahan, Chair
Vice President
Schneider Electric
Franklin, Tennessee
Michael Mahan is Vice President, North America, for Schneider Electric’s Home & Distribution Line of Business. He is responsible for the short and long-term product strategy and evolution of Schneider’s Home & Distribution business, leading the North American Product Management, Engineering, Architecture and Project Management teams. Prior to this position, he held roles of increasing responsibility at GE Appliances and GE Energy, including leading the Monogram brand team at GE Appliances. Michael joined the NKBA Board of Directors in 2018 and served as Vice Chair in 2020. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and an MBA from the University of Connecticut. He resides in Nashville with his wife Megan, son Matthew, and daughter Eliza.
Basil E. Larkin, Vice Chair
Vice President of Sales
Hestan Commercial Corp.
Anaheim, California
Basil Larkin is vice president of sales for Hestan Commercial Corporation, a multi-award-winning innovative manufacturer of premium commercial restaurant equipment and residential indoor and outdoor appliances, where he is responsible for all sales of the company. Basil has been in the appliance business for nearly his entire professional career, holding key roles in sales leadership, marketing and product development. Before joining Hestan, he was general manager at BSH Home Appliances, vice president of sales and marketing at Lynx Professional Grills and vice president of sales at Viking Range Corporation. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts. He is also a member of the Society of Fellows at the Culinary Institute of America. He lives in Redondo Beach, Calif., with his wife, daughter and son.
Randy Warner, Secretary/Treasurer
Vice President of Sales — Luxury Division
Samsung-Dacor
Irvine, California
Randy Warner is currently vice president of sales for Samsung — Luxury Division. After two years running Dacor as a subsidiary of Samsung North America following Samsung’s acquisition of the luxury brand, Warner successfully integrated the Dacor business into the parent company Samsung. An Ohio native with three decades of experience in the appliance category, Warner began his career with Maytag, working for the company for 15 years supporting the business in many sales and sales management roles across the U.S. market. He joined Electrolux, where he launched and led the builder division across the West Coast as well as managing National Buying Groups. Following his time at Electrolux, Warner joined the Sub-Zero Group West team as Vice President Sales overseeing West and Southwest distributorships. Prior to joining Dacor, Warner served as President of Sub-Zero Group West and Southwest distribution, including overseeing sales, marketing, operations and customer service. Warner holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from the University of South Florida in Tampa.
Board Members:
Kristen Elder
Showroom & Builder Vice President
Ferguson Enterprises
Newport News, Virginia
Kristen Elder is the Showroom & Builder Vice President at Ferguson Enterprises, responsible for showroom and builder strategy and execution. She is an accomplished consumer product sales and marketing leader with experience in launching and growing top consumer and retail brands. She joined Ferguson in 2017 as Senior Director of Appliance Business Development and has worked very closely with the business groups, Sourcing, Category Management, Marketing and the branch network to increase sales and profitability of Ferguson’s appliance business. Before joining the company, Elder spent 20 years in the retail industry with many notable brands including Sony Electronics, Circuit City and Monark Premium Appliance Co.
Jan Heck
President and CEO
Miele USA
Princeton, New Jersey
With more than 20 years in the kitchen and bath industry in North America, Jan Heck was named president and CEO of Miele USA, a subsidiary of the world’s largest family-owned premium appliance company, in 2016. He oversees overall operations of the company’s consumer and professional use appliance and floor care products, which includes management of 10 Miele Experience Centers across the U.S. He started his career at Bizerba, a weighing and food processing equipment manufacturer, serving in Germany, the U.K. and Canada. After that, he joined Miele in Ontario, where he became president of the Miele Ltd. Canada subsidiary in 1999. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from IHK (Chamber of Industry) in Reutlingen, Germany, has been active in numerous professional organizations and orchestrated a $100 million fundraising campaign as a board member of St. Joseph’s Health Centre Foundation in Toronto.
Allison Lowrie
Chief Marketing Officer
ANGI Homeservices
Golden, Colorado
Allison Lowrie was named Chief Marketing Officer at ANGI Homeservices, parent of Angie’s List and Home Advisor, in 2017. Lowrie, who served as NKBA Board Chair in 2020, specializes in brand management, customer acquisition, communications and marketing intelligence. In 2015, Lowrie was named Chief Marketing Officer of HomeAdvisor (U.S.), which she joined in 2010, and has held various senior marketing positions throughout her tenure. Before joining HomeAdvisor, Lowrie acted as the Director of Advertising Products at Cars.com from 2004 to 2010. She also serves on the Home Improvement Research Institute’s (HIRI) Board of Directors.
Jan Neiges, CMKBD
Principal
Jan Neiges CMKBD LLC
Denver
Jan Neiges, CMKBD, principal of her namesake design firm in Denver, is an award-winning kitchen designer and past president of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of NKBA. A longtime certified kitchen designer, she achieved her Certified Master Kitchen & Bath Designer designation in 2020. She’s a frequent guest lecturer at colleges, home shows and at KBIS. Capitalizing on 40 years of sales experience and 20 years of design, she has helped colleagues hone their marketing and selling skills with a process specific to kitchen and bath designers that has been proven to shorten the lead-to-sale cycle, improve the closing ratio while also earning design fees before they design.
New directors joining the board include:
Mikael Åkerberg
CEO
Nobilia North America
Miami
With over 20 years of international executive experience of supplying products and services to the construction and remodeling market, Mikael Åkerberg was named Chief Executive Officer of nobilia North America in December 2017. Åkerberg earned his MBA at IHM Business School in Sweden and has worked for several global companies. Before joining Nobilia in 2009, Åkerberg held executive positions in companies such as Saint-Gobain S.A. and Jeld-Wen Inc. Within nobilia, the main focus has been to build sales and logistic structures on larger scales to fulfill the demands both retail and wholesalers, as well as to the construction industry in multiple countries. Nobilia is Europe’s leading kitchen manufacturer, headquartered in Gutersloh, Germany, and supplying over 700,000 fully accessorized kitchens in more than 90 countries. Nobilia group now brings its highly efficient capacity of supplying award-winning design and quality to North America.
Louis M. “Lou” Rohl
Chair and Founder
House of ROHL
Irvine, California
Lou Rohl is Chair and Founder of The House of ROHL, which offers product lines spanning the upscale and luxury kitchen and bath markets. He serves as the company’s strategic thought leader in the U.S. and is responsible for relationships with key vendors and customers supporting and accelerating HoR business across the country. He is a graduate of Western Illinois University and the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business executive leadership training. Rohl started his career in the industry nearly four decades ago, first working at St. Charles Kitchens in St. Charles, Ill., and KWC Faucets in Switzerland before becoming a founding member of ROHL. He is also an industry partner of ASID and is a, IDCEC credited (Interior Design Continuing Education) instructor, and an active member of executive coaching organization Vistage International. Lou serves the arts community in Southern California, including as Chair of the Board of Trustees at the Laguna Art Museum, and is an active mentor to the Business Students at California State University, Fullerton.
Leadership Recruitment Committee
Amy Hornby
Director, Key Accounts
KBIS and CEDIA Expo
Bryant Haas
OEM Sales Manager
Rev-A-Shelf, LLC
Steve Petock
Senior Vice President Business Development
Ferguson
Katie Brockman
Vice President, Corporate Sales
Sandow
Kerrie Kelly
Principal & Creative Director
Kerrie Kelly Design Lab
Chapter Leadership Committee
Antonette Copeland
Design Director
CR Home LLC
Ellen Lopez, CKD
Founder and Creative Director
EL Design Studio
Toni Sabatino, AKBD
Owner & Principal Designer
Toni Sabatino Style
Molly Switzer, AKBD
Owner & Principal Designer
Molly N Switzer Designs LLC
Nancy Young, CKBD
Owner & Principal Designer
Nancy Young Designs