Acertitude Places New Leader for SLV Lighting Group in Germany
July 28, 2023 – Executive search firm Acertitude has recruited Mark Körner as chair of the management board (chief executive officer) of Düsseldorf, Germany-based SLV Lighting Group (SLV), a European leader in the lighting industry backed by private investment house Ardian. Michael Klingler, a partner and leader within Acertitude’s global healthcare and life sciences practice, led the assignment. Mr. Körner succeeds Eric Lachambre in the leadership role. “Mark will, no doubt, position SLV for its next phase of growth,” said Mr. Klingler. “We look forward to continuing our partnership with Ardian and advising SLV as they continue to drive industry expansion.”
In his new role, Mr. Körner is expected to drive market expansion within the company’s core business. He is a progressive leader with international experience in Europe and Africa. With over 20 years of commercial and strategic management expertise in lighting, the industry authority has a track record both setting companies on a growth trajectory and leading organizations through transformation periods.
“Mark’s previous successes in transformative growth roles, coupled with his deep knowledge of industry experience, make him a top choice to lead SLV into their next phase of growth,” said Heiko Geissler, managing director at Ardian. “We are grateful to Michael and the Acertitude team for conducting a search that was fast, efficient, and straight-forward, delivering a powerful candidate who will truly help the business flourish. Six months later, we couldn’t be happier with the addition of Mark, who completes SLV’s management team.”
Mr. brings more than two decades of commercial and strategic management experience in the lighting industry, most recently as managing director/CEO of Siteco. Prior to this, he was a member of the executive team of the Trilux Group as its CSO, a role in which he was responsible for global sales and marketing activities. Mr. Körner also worked in a number of international leadership positions in the lighting industry at Philips Lighting in Europe and Africa. His experience and expertise in sales, marketing and product management are expected to be invaluable assets, said the company.
Experienced and Action Oriented
“We are delighted to welcome Mark Körner to the SLV Lighting Group as an experienced and action-oriented manager from the lighting industry,” said Michael Rauterkus, chair of the advisory board. “With his many years of industry and management experience, Mark Körner is the ideal person to lead SLV into its next phase of growth. This phase will particularly focus on a customer-oriented and innovative range of products, best-in-class service, and strengthening our sales activities.”
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“I look forward to the wonderful task of contributing my experience and expertise in my work for the SLV Lighting Group,” said Mr. Körner. “I will work together with the team to further adapt the organization to the requirements of the changing lighting market, drive innovations, and strengthen the SLV brand and product platforms on an international level so that we can realize the group’s huge growth potential.”
The SLV Lighting Group ships professional luminary products from its five main brands – Nordtronic, Novalux, Unex Lighting, Knightsbridge, and SLV – to over 100 countries worldwide. The company has around 670 employees in 17 national companies.
Founded in 1996, Ardian is a world-leading private investment house, managing or advising $150 billion of assets on behalf of more than 1,400 clients globally. Headquartered in Düsseldorf, its expertise spans private equity, real assets, and credit. Ardian is majority-owned by its employees and places great emphasis on developing its people and fostering a collaborative culture based on collective intelligence. Its 1,000-plus employees are spread across 16 offices in Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Middle East.
Respected Recruiters
Founded in 2015, Acertitude specializes in recruiting CEO, C-suite, and executive talent in the consumer, financial, healthcare and life sciences, industrial, private equity, professional services, and technology sectors. Its consultants work from offices in Boston; Dallas; Miami; London; New York; Philadelphia; Providence, RI; Raleigh, NC; Shanghai; and Washington, D.C.
Mr. Klingler oversees the European healthcare and life sciences team and significant relationships with board members, CEOs, and private equity executives across Europe and the Americas. He and his team deliver executive search, leadership assessment, and private equity services across the pre- and post-deal phases, all areas in which he has in-depth expertise spanning hundreds of assignments and more than two decades as an advisor. From a sector standpoint, he is highly specialized in the pharmaceuticals, chemicals, biotechnology, diagnostics, medical devices, health tech, health services, CDMO, and CRO industries. He joined Acertitude from his role as CEO and owner of KPI Leadership Advisors, where he similarly served mid- and large-cap private equity funds dedicated to the healthcare and life sciences sector.
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Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
