Who Are the 25 Most Influential People in Lighting?
Paul Pompeo, principal of the renowned executive recruiting firm Pompeo Group, shares his list of top leaders in the industry.
As recently shared on the Pompeo Group website, the list of the 25 most influential people in lighting includes four manufacturers, 11 designers, and 10 lighting professionals from a variety of sectors.
Pompeo Group noted that its selection process answered the key question of whose ideas, leadership, and decisions meaningfully shaped lighting in 2025? “Guided by months of discussion, peer input, and debate, our committee evaluated individuals whose work advanced human-centric lighting, accelerated adoption of controls and data-driven design, elevated sustainability and decarbonization efforts, and strengthened education and professional standards,” the group stated. “The result reflects not popularity, but impact — across design, manufacturing, advocacy, and technology. As our industry confronts AI integration, evolving codes, tariffs, and health-centric performance, these 25 individuals are helping define what comes next.”
Three notable industry professionals form the selection committee. They are:
Charles G. Stone II, FIALD, CLD, IES, LC, LEED AP BD+C
Founder, Fisher Marantz Stone
Charles Stone joined Jules Fisher & Paul Marantz in 1983 and co-founded FMS in 1997. Based in New York, Seattle, and Austin, FMS has earned 300+ awards and completed 5,000 projects on six continents. A Princeton graduate and IALD Fellow and Past President, he lectures globally, serves on the IESNA Outdoor Nighttime Environment Committee, and has received multiple lifetime achievement honors.
Nancy Stathes
President, Specialty Lighting, Inc.
Nancy Stathes has built a distinguished reputation in the lighting industry through leadership, product innovation, and support for the design profession. With several patents, she has strengthened collaboration between manufacturers and specifiers while championing the broader design community. Highly respected by peers, Stathes’ impact was recognized with the 2025 Edison Report Lifetime Achievement Award, honoring her lasting contributions.
Jean Jacques
Executive Vice President, SDA Lighting & Controls
Jean Jacques serves as Executive Vice President of SDA Lighting & Controls in New York City, overseeing agency operations, brand strategy, and specification sales. With an architectural background and 30 years in the lighting industry, he is known for building meaningful partnerships and championing collaboration. He is founder and committee head of IESNYC’s Guiding Lights Circle mentorship program.
The four Manufacturers on the list are: Neil Ashe, CEO of Acuity; Morris Feldman, CEO & President of Lumenwerx; Jeff Parker, CEO of Luminii; and Rogier van der Heide,Global Design Executive.
The 11 Designers are: Lee Brandt, Senior Principal at HLB Lighting Design; Randy Burkett
President & Design Principal at RBLD, Inc.; Hervé Descottes, Principal at L’Observatoire International; Andrea Hartranft, Principal at Hartranft Lighting Studios; Carrie Hawley
Senior Principal | CEO at HLB Lighting Design; Chip Israel, CEO & Founder at Lighting Design Alliance; Christopher Knowlton, CEO International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD); Martin Lupton, Co-founder at Light Collective UK; Naomi Miller,
Lighting Scientist Emerita at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory; Leela Shanker,
Sustainability Director, Design Lab – WAP; and Sharon Stammers, Co-founder at Light Collective UK.
The 10 lighting professionals from various categories are: Acharawan Chutarat,
Lecturer at King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi; Lauren Dandridge,
Principal, Chromatic / Adjunct Associate Professor, USC School of Architecture; Mariana Figueiro, Professor, Department of Population Health Science & Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; Tina Halfpenny, Executive Director/CEO Design Lights Consortium (DLC) | CEO Efficiency Forward Inc.; Colleen (Knight) Harper, CEO & Executive Director at Illuminating Engineering Society; Ruskin Hartley, CEO at DarkSky International; Amy Oliver, Public Affairs Officer/Light Pollution Scientist with the Smithsonian; John Palk, President & CEO at SESCO Lighting, Inc.; Al Uszynski,
Publisher, Inside Lighting; and Jim Williams, founder of JAW Lighting, a multi-state rep agency.
To learn what makes these select individuals unique and outstanding in their field, continue reading the committee’s assessment of each here.
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