Stef Kranendijk Leaves Desso to Help Implement the Circular Economy* in Other Industry Sectors

Waalwijk, The Netherlands (ots/PRNewswire) -

After 6 years at Desso, first 5 1/2 years as CEO and later 1/2
year as Chairman of the company and the Supervisory Board, Stef
Kranendijk has decided to leave Desso to pursue other options via
which he will be better able to help implement the Circular Economy*
in other Industry Sectors.

Stef Kranendijk joined Desso on April 2, 2007 as co-owner and CEO
and since then has been instrumental in repositioning Desso as one of
the leading carpet companies in Europe by implementing a clear and
successful innovation strategy focused on creative design,
functionality and sustainability leading to significant growth of the
company. In the process, Stef has been a vocal and public advocate of
transforming the linear economy into a circular one, the Cradle to
Cradle(R) approach, and has put Desso on an irreversible path to
sustainable entrepreneurship.

Following this transformation and the completion of the leadership
transition to the new CEO, Alexander Collot d'Escury, Stef has
decided to leave Desso. Stef intends to continue focusing on
implementing profitable strategies at other companies based on
corporate social responsibility, in particular promoting the Circular
Economy*. This move is in parallel to Stef's recent election as
Chairman of De Groene Zaak, a group of more than 155 companies that
are leaders in bringing sustainability in the centre of their
business strategy given that this also leads to better financial
results.

Eric-Joost Ernst, who will succeed Stef as Chairman of the
Supervisory Board, comments: "The Supervisory Board and the Executive
Board are very grateful for Stef's huge contribution to Desso over
the past six years. We will miss his strategic insight, his
inspiration, his focus on results, commercial drive and passion for
the environment, but his conceptions will live on in Desso's
strategy. We wish Stef all the best for the future."

Stef Kranendijk comments: "I have had a fantastic,
transformational, time at Desso and am highly impressed with the
quality of the people at Desso and the speed by which the whole
organization was able to transform itself from a regular carpet and
artificial grass manufacturer to a highly innovative and successful
company with a focus on innovation, geographical expansion and
communication. Innovation has been driven by Creativity to foster
superior design, Functionality to improve quality of life and Cradle
to Cradle(R) to rethink design, improve health and promote the
circular economy*. I know I leave Desso in excellent leadership hands
with Alexander Collot d'Escury as CEO and Tom Francken as CFO with
their hands on the steering wheel. I wish all the people who I worked
with so well a great future and I will miss them."

Stef has become a thought leader on the effectiveness of Cradle to
Cradle(R) in turning the linear economy in a circular economy*
speaking at many occasions to CEO's and government leaders (eg. most
recently at The World Economic Forum in Davos), to architects, end
users and opinion leaders. Stef has also regularly presented the
'Desso Case' to students at executive programs at the London Business
School, Cranfield University, Exeter University, IMD Lausanne,
Rotterdam School of Management and at many other occasions, thereby
making the point that companies putting sustainability/Cradle to
Cradle(R) at the heart of their business strategy will prosper.

Next to his Chairmanship of De Groene Zaak, Stef is also Chairman
of the Amsterdam Maritime Museum (Het Scheepvaartmuseum), Member of
the Board of the Rotterdam Sustainability Initiative financing the
Cradle to Cradle(R) Chair at Rotterdam School of Management, Member
of the Board of the Ubbo Emmius Fund at the University of Groningen
and is active in several other Boards.

Note: * We currently live in a linear economy where products turn
into waste for landfill or incineration (to burn the waste). In the
circular economy we strive to design and make products of pure
materials and in such a way that they are easy to disassemble after
use. This way the components and its raw materials can be re-used
again and again.

Website: http://www.desso.com

ots Originaltext: Desso Holding BV
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Contact:
For more information, interview requests and photos in high
resolution, which can be used free of copyright and are suitable for
publication, please contact: DESSO Holding BV, Anette Timmer, Tel:
+31-416-684-100, mail: atimmer@desso.com