Before joining Griven as CEO in November 2019, I had already spent over two decades immersed in commercial strategy, public relations, marketing, consultancy, and executive leadership. Since 2004, my focus shifted to the lighting industry, where I’ve collaborated with some of the world’s most visionary designers and architects. It’s an industry that beautifully fuses functionality with creativity, and it’s where I discovered my greatest professional passion.
Working across cities like Milan, London, and New York exposed me to diverse markets and cultural mind-sets. These international experiences shaped a global perspective and taught me the importance of both innovation and local nuance. Over time, I held leadership positions at major lighting companies before transitioning into independent consultancy, which allowed me to sharpen my strategic thinking and entrepreneurial mind-set. Taking the helm at Griven felt like a natural culmination of everything I had experienced and built up to that point.
My path to becoming a CEO wasn’t defined by a single leap it evolved organically through years of varied roles that prepared me for the demands and responsibilities of executive leadership. I’ve worked across multiple disciplines commercial strategy, creative collaboration, consultancy, and organizational transformation which has given me a 360-degree view of how businesses function and thrive.
What excites me most about this role is the convergence of all the elements I’m most passionate about: innovation, strategic thinking, and leading with purpose. I see my position not just as a title, but as an opportunity to shape culture, empower people, and drive meaningful change. Every challenge and success along the way has helped me refine a leadership style that is both human-centered and vision-driven.
Taking on a leadership role at Griven was both a privilege and a pivotal challenge. Griven’s legacy is deeply rooted in its family-founded origins something that gave the company a strong identity and a foundation of values that I deeply respect. However, that same legacy also came with limitations: a need for greater structure, scalability, and adaptability in a rapidly changing global marketplace.
The transformation from a traditional business model to a modern, multinational organization required more than operational changes. It demanded cultural evolution. I focused on building an agile, transparent, and inclusive company culture while honoring the values that built the company’s reputation. We introduced strategic planning processes, embraced digital innovation, and fostered cross-functional collaboration. Aligning a diverse team around a shared vision for growth and doing so in a way that was open, respectful, and empowering was one of the most rewarding leadership challenges of my career.
Today’s leadership landscape is evolving faster than ever. It’s no longer about top-down direction or rigid hierarchies. In 2025, effective leadership means being adaptable, empathetic, and purpose-driven. It means empowering others while staying accountable, guiding with clarity while embracing uncertainty, and always being open to learning.
My own leadership style has evolved significantly over the years. I used to believe in having all the answers. Now, I see the true strength in listening deep, active listening that uncovers insights and builds trust. Leadership is about creating a safe space for diverse voices, challenging your assumptions, and enabling others to step into their strengths.
Values like integrity, empathy, and accountability are central to my approach. I believe in making decisions transparently, considering both business outcomes and human impact. Empathy helps me understand the challenges and aspirations of my team; accountability ensures we hold ourselves to the highest standards. Together, these values foster a culture where people feel empowered to do their best work and where the organization grows as a result.
One of the key strengths I bring to my role is the ability to connect vision with execution. Strategic thinking must be grounded in reality aligned with operational capacities, market dynamics, and organizational culture. My diverse experience across industries and geographies helps me navigate complexity with both agility and clarity.
Having worked across continents, I bring a global outlook to the table while remaining sensitive to local markets and cultural nuances. That balance between innovation and pragmatism, ambition and execution is what enables sustainable growth. It’s not just about where we’re going; it’s about how we get there and who we bring along.
I strongly believe that leadership is not about creating followers it’s about nurturing future leaders. One of my priorities has been creating space for emerging talent to take ownership early in their careers. By giving them room to make decisions, ask questions, and even make mistakes, I help them build the confidence and critical thinking that are essential to leadership.
Mentorship plays a big role in this. I’ve been fortunate to learn from powerful mentors throughout my journey people who challenged me, believed in me, and modelled values-based leadership. Now, I pay it forward by fostering a culture of open dialogue, honest feedback, and continuous learning.
Diversity of thought, experience, and background is essential in shaping well-rounded leaders. I encourage my team to pursue broad exposure across disciplines, functions, and even geographies because adaptability is rooted in perspective.
At Griven, we’re committed to building a more inclusive and equitable workplace. Inclusion is not a checkbox or a one-off initiative it’s an ongoing commitment to fairness, representation, and opportunity. We’re actively working toward gender equality certification, which is one step in a broader strategy to ensure all voices are heard and valued.
Real inclusion requires more than policies it demands cultural change. We work to embed equity in our recruitment practices, performance evaluations, leadership development, and everyday decision-making. We know that diversity drives innovation, and we are committed to creating an environment where everyone has a seat at the table and a voice in shaping the future.
Over the years, I’ve learned that leadership isn’t about perfection—it’s about progress. Some of the most meaningful growth comes from uncertain, risky, even uncomfortable steps. I often tell aspiring leaders: trust yourself more. Take the leap. Experience—not fearlessness—builds confidence.
Listen more than you speak. Let go of the need to control everything. And when in doubt, return to your values—they are the most reliable compass you have. The most resilient leaders are those who stay curious, adapt quickly, and never stop learning.
At the end of the day, leadership is about impact—on people, on business, on the world around us. My goal is to lead with purpose, to elevate others, and to build something that outlasts me.