LightingEurope appoints lighting industry veteran Diederik de Stoppelaar as secretary general

LightingEurope welcomes the appointment of Mr. Diederik de Stoppelaar as Secretary General.

Mr. de Stoppelaar has been serving interim Secretary General since 1 September, 2014. His appointment marks a strategic turning point for the two-year-old LightingEurope. Dietmar Zembrot, President of LightingEurope, states, "The lighting industry is in a period of rapid transformation and Mr. de Stoppelaar has the experience across sectors and technologies to address these challenges with the team at LightingEurope. We are very pleased to welcome him back and look forward to his contributions, leadership, and insight." Mr. de Stoppelaar, a seasoned lighting veteran, brings over 25 years of experience in the lighting industry to LightingEurope, including being instrumental in the founding of LightingEurope and serving as Treasurer from 2011-2013. Previously he was the global General Manager for the Vertical Outdoor within GE Lighting. Prior to his work at GE, Mr. de Stoppelaar has served in various management roles within Philips Lighting, as Chief Marketing Officer of Thorn Lighting, Regional Commercial Director of Zumtobel, and Vice President for Sales, Europe and Africa, of Lutron. Says Mr. de Stoppelaar: "It has been great to be back at LightingEurope these past months. I am confident in our ability as an organization to bring the voice of the lighting industry in Europe to the forefront of decision-making and activities during this time of industry transition." LightingEurope is an industry association of 33 European lighting manufacturers, national associations, and companies producing materials. LightingEurope members represent over 1,000 European companies, a majority of which are SMEs; a total workforce of over 100,000 people in Europe; and an annual turnover estimated to exceed 20 billion euros. LightingEurope is dedicated to promoting efficient lighting practices for the benefit of the global environment, human comfort, and the health and safety of consumers.