Dr. Reinhard Zinkann is Miele Group’s Executive Director and Co-Proprietor. He has completed studies in Economics and Business Management, so as in History and History of Music and Philosophy. Reinhard is also President of APPLiA and official spokesman of the domestic appliance industry on the board of Zvei, the Association of the Electrical and Electronics Industry.
Fabio De'Longhi has been a member of the Board of Directors of De' Longhi S.p.A. since April 18th, 2001, the date of Company’s listing on Milan stock Exchange. From June 2005 to April 2020 and from September 2022 to date, he has served as Chief Executive Officer of the De' Longhi Group, leading its international expansion. He holds other executive positions in De' Longhi Group companies, and from April 2025, he has also been appointed President of the De' Longhi Group.
Lars Schubert has built a distinguished career at BSH Hausgeräte GmbH, culminating in his current role as Chief Operating Officer and Member of the Board of Management since 2022.
He began his journey with BSH in 1995 as a Process Engineer, steadily advancing through various technical and leadership positions in Germany, including Head of R&D for Ovens. Schubert's international experience includes serving as Head of Manufacturing Engineering in the US.
A significant portion of his career was dedicated to BSH's operations in China, where he served as Vice President Operations Cooking Products before becoming Chief Operating Officer and Chief Technology Officer for BSH Home Appliances Holding China in 2019. His extensive background in operations, technology, and international leadership ultimately led to his current global executive role.
Patrick Crombez has been Daikin Europe’s General Manager of the Environmental Research Center since 2024. He has completed studies as an Industrial Engineer, with a specialty in Nuclear Science and Chemistry. Having been with Daikin since 1991, Patrick previously headed the Heating and Renewables Business unit and led Product and Strategic Marketing. Patrick is also President of the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA) and a member of its executive board.
Martyn Davies is Managing Director, CEE at Dyson. He has over 20 years of experience, 16 at Dyson where he has had global experience through management positions in Hong Kong as part of the team that set up the Dyson business in China, then Singapore as General Manager for Southeast Asia. He returned to Europe in 2018 and now lives in Amsterdam with his wife and three children. He holds a degree in Economics and is a Chartered Management Accountant.
Chris Braam was appointed CEO Business Area Europe on July 1, 2022. He has over 20 years’ experience in senior management roles in sales and marketing from Electrolux, which he joined in 2011, and Nokia where he was VP Sales of the Mobile Phones division for the Middle East & Africa, based in Dubai. During his career at Electrolux, he has been SVP Sales & Service for Business Area Europe and a member of the European Leadership Team (ELT), leading a team of 4,000 employees and responsible for driving new business models including a more consumer-centric approach, integrating the Wellbeing and Small Domestic Appliances business into the Electrolux Major Appliances organization, driving profitable growth through eCommerce and strategic partnerships, and increasing sales across all European markets. Born in 1969, Chris is Dutch and holds a degree in Business Economics & Administration from the Erasmus University in Rotterdam. He is married with four children. He enjoys skiing, jogging, traveling and is a member of a cooking club in his native Netherlands.
Boštjan Pečnik is Executive Vice President of Hisense Europe, in charge for Kitchen product line, Europe R&D center and Quality. He has 30 years of experiences in the home appliance business. Most of his career he worked on various leadership positions in Research and Development and Product Management. His field of expertise is Mechanical Engineering. He holds a PhD in Nanosciences and Nanotechnologies.
A graduate of the ESSEC Business School (École supérieure des sciences économiques et commerciales), Stanislas de Gramont spent most of his career at Danone, where he held various executive management positions. Since 2014, he was CEO of Suntory Beverage & Food Europe before joining Groupe SEB in 2018.Stanislas de Gramont has been Deputy CEO of Groupe SEB since 2018, responsible for the Group's global sales and marketing functions.From 2018 to June 30, 2022, he was Deputy CEO and, since July 1, 2022, he has been CEO of Groupe SEB.Stanislas de Gramont
Since May 2014, Steffen Nagel has been Managing Director for Sales & Marketing Global and Member of the Board of Directors at Liebherr Appliance Division. He brings more than 27 years of global sales, marketing and product management expertise in sustainable and profitable growth strategy, go-to-market, omni-channel solutions, brand & communication management, customer service and digital business models in Technical Consumer Products (TCG) and Appliances for Professional Use. Steffen holds a degree in International Business Administration.
Angela Stadler is responsible for global electrical regulatory compliance at Procter & Gamble. She holds a PhD in Biochemistry from University of Frankfurt, Germany and started her career at P&G in 1993. Over the last 33 years, she had various leadership positions in Procter & Gamble´s global Human Safety and Regulatory Affairs Organization in several consumer goods as well as medical devices categories.
Dr. Choi, Senior Vice President at Samsung Electronics, is a key figure in the company's global business and technology strategy. His role involves overseeing business opportunities and product development for main business segments such as air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, cooking ranges, and vacuum cleaners. He also spearheads various exploration activities to achieve quantum business growth through innovations and new technologies, a testament to his forward-thinking approach and strategic vision.
Dr. Choi also oversees all foreign government affairs, global standardization, regulatory activities, and trade association activities for the business division. He is an active board member of AHAM (Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers in the USA) and a Steering Committee Member of APPLIA (Home Appliance Europe). He currently serves as Chairman of the AHAM board and a member of the EU Commission-established Roundtable for the Europe Industry 2030.
Dr. Choi's academic and professional background is a testament to his dedication and expertise. He earned his PhD and MS degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the prestigious Pennsylvania State University in State College, Pennsylvania. His solid foundation in engineering and world-class vision have been instrumental in his successful career in the technology industry. He looks forward to educating and leading household appliance technology to reach its best potential worldwide.
Dr. Thomas Stoffmehl has been Chief Executive Officer of the Vorwerk Group since January 2026. He previously served as Speaker of the Executive Board of Vorwerk SE & Co. KG and as Member of the Management Board of Vorwerk International. Before joining Vorwerk, he was CEO of LR Health & Beauty Group and held several senior leadership positions at bofrost*, including Co-CEO, CFO/COO and Corporate Spokesman. Thomas is also Chairman of Direct Selling Europe and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of La mer AG.
Yvan Desmedt is the Partner-in-Charge of Jones Day’s Amsterdam Office, with a regular presence in the Brussels Office. He advises APPLiA on compliance and EU regulatory issues. He has worked with clients for 20 years on EU and national-level competition law, as well as advisory and litigation matters in regulated industries. Yvan's competition law experience includes merger control at the EU and national levels as a notifying party or third-party opponent. He advises on commercial agreements, including joint ventures, distribution, and licensing.
Paolo Falcioni has been APPLiA's Director General since January 2014. In this position he focused on improving the association visibility and effectiveness within Europe and internationally. Paolo, after graduating in electronic engineering, started working in the telecommunication sector and, afterwards, he moved to the household appliance industry sector where he held positions with growing responsibilities. He has been one of the founders of the International Roundtable of Household Appliance Manufacturers Associations (IRHMA) which tackles world-wide issues like sustainability and innovation in a global manner. Paolo served for three year as Chairman of the Coalition for Energy Savings, a multi-stakeholder group aiming at improving energy efficiency in Europe. He is also one of the Board members in Smart Energy Europe, smartEn fostering demand side management to help consumers to reap the benefits of the new Energy market.
Jochem Ybema serves as the Chief Financial Officer of BSH Home Appliances Ltd in Great Britain and Ireland. In addition to his role as CFO, he oversees Human Resources, Supply Chain, Facility Management, Controlling, Finance, and Sales Support.
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