Simone Vingerhoets-Ziesmann

Executive Vice President at Roset USA Corporation

Speaker

Simone Vingerhoets-Ziesmann joined Roset USA in September 2017 as Executive Vice President for the Americas. Roset USA is the subsidiary servicing the North- and Latin American markets for the renowned French furniture and luxury lifestyle brand Ligne Roset, known for its artful collaborations with both established and up-and-coming talents in contemporary design.

Increasing both consumer sales as well as contract sales across North and Latin America during her tenure with Ligne Roset, Simone has also elevated the brand perception in the US through various high-profile brand and marketing activities. Some highlights include: Dynamic Expansion art and design installation by artist Liz Collins in collaboration with Pollack and Sunbrella Contract; special exhibition on Philippe Nigro’s body of work in collaboration with Mobilier National; a partnership with GCE Lab School supporting socially responsible young citizens and hands-on learning experiences; Ligne 102 transformative modular installation made entirely of cork and designed by Bernard Dubois; the Wanted Design show under the philosophy “Design is about telling a story and Ottoman is the story of a land where indoor and outdoor permanently co-exist“ with French Designer Noe Duchaufour-Lawrence supported by the creation of an outdoor scenography inside a gallery; and Design Miami “Transformation” presentation in partnership with Directed Art Modern and world class artists Troy Simmons, Sean Mick, Lukasz Bilinski, Bego Santiago and Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec. And coming in 2023 she will lead a multi-city exhibition to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the iconic Togo design, complete with historic elements, special editions, and an experiential podcast corner to learn more.

Simone previously held the position of North American CEO at Wilkhahn, the premium office and conferencing furniture brand, joining the firm for its focus on increased health, wellbeing, and its effect on increased productivity within the workforce. She drove this region of the company to its highest revenue since inception. Further, she sourced and established local table manufacturing facilities in response to lead- time demands, launched a collection of US specific product finishes and established a multiline representative network.

In her position as Executive Vice President of Artek, Inc., the innovative and widely admired modern design brand dedicated to ethics, aesthetics, ecology and economy, Simone significantly elevated Artek’s profile in the North American market contributing to the prestigious “Body of Work” award at the 2014 International Contemporary Furniture Fair. Before joining Artek, Simone oversaw the Swedish brand Kasthall and established it as a leading international designer and manufacturer of luxury hand tufted and woven rugs in North America. She also established Chilewich for the hospitality sector and led the division to become a leading player in the national and international foodservice industry.

In England, early in her career, Simone pioneered Alessi’s shop-in shop strategy, introducing 6 shops inside luxury UK department stores over a three-year period. Simone started her career in finance, consulting with entrepreneurs to identify and secure sources of funding.

Passionate about design, Simone has been a founding member in her role at Artek of BeOriginal Americas, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting intellectual property and counteracting design piracy while investing in design’s future, and continues to be a member of the Be Original Americas board on behalf of Ligne Roset. She is an avid marathon runner and triathlete. Frequently seen on the podiums winning age group awards.