SONNEMAN – A Way of Light Names New CEO
March 14, 2022
SONNEMAN – A Way of Light has appointed Andrew B. Cogan as CEO; he 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 & 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, Cogan served more than 30 years as the Chairman & CEO of modern furniture manufacturer 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. Before leaving Knoll in 2021, 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.
“I am so pleased to lead such an iconic and modern design-driven brand,” Cogan commented. “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. His designs are known for their minimalism, sophisticated simplicity, beauty, and performance. 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, Cogan will also join Dunes Point Capital as a Senior Advisor.
Cogan currently serves as the Chairman of The Rug Company and a Director of the American Woodmark Corp. He additionally serves on the External Advisory Board of the Master in Design Engineering Program at Harvard University.
