Interview


Driving change in connected lighting


A world-leader in light and lighting solutions in the Internet of Things, Signify UKI is driving change across home, work and urban spaces. Here, EW editor Bryony Andrews caught up with recently appointed Signify CEO Nico van der Merwe about Philips products, connected Interact lighting systems and data-driven services.


How did you prepare for your new role as CEO of Signify UKI?


To prepare for this new and exciting role, it was imperative to have a clear learning path for the short and long term. To do so, I needed to learn more about Signify, the broader industry, the customers, the challenges, and the opportunities. So, in my first month at Signify, I have focussed on answering these questions, connecting with my teams, and building a network that could help me get there. In this short yet insightful journey so far, I have been consciously asking questions to accelerate my learning and, in some cases, also unlearning from my experience, where necessary.


Reflecting on my first month on the job, it is interesting to see that my last 30 days have been very internally-driven. Now, I am looking forward to meeting with our customers and partners to get their insights on how our relationships have been getting stronger over the years and


what we can do differently to strengthen them in the future. I am a big believer in the fact that feedback from our customers and partners can only make us better and enable us to achieve more.


How did you get started in this industry? I have held roles in technical channel development and marketing, so my move to this role and the electrical/lighting industry has been a natural progression. The industry offers similar technologies, go-to-market strategies, and customers, so it feels like I can make a positive impact. When I joined my previous firm, I realised that the electrical industry has so much to offer given the work we do around connected solutions and automation, as at the core of it lies


“Connectivity that is driven by purpose will be a huge trend for 2023.”


the use of energy. This was new to me, intrigued me, and has shaped my career for the past almost 15 years.


What do you hope to achieve in your new role at Signify?


Signify is a company with a rich heritage, a powerful product portfolio, a talented team, and a strong leadership position in sustainability. The UK and Ireland have exciting opportunities in the market for us and our customers and that is what I want to make possible for us in the new role.


What lighting trends can we expect to see in 2023 and beyond? Firstly, the EU and UK have passed legislation that prohibits the use of conventional fluorescent lighting. With the ban coming into effect in early 2023 in the EU and 2024 in the UK, the shift to energy-efficient LED is set to accelerate even more than it has over the last two decades. Secondly, I expect that the switch from traditional lighting to LED will see an acceleration in the public and business space. The immense energy-saving benefits from LED lighting continue to be either misunderstood or overlooked, with the full potential of what can be achieved remaining unrealised: connecting LEDs and managing them via a software-based lighting management system increases energy savings to as much as 80%. Connectivity that is driven by purpose will be a huge trend for 2023. Also, city budgets are tight. City decision- makers may have the ambition to develop and improve their infrastructure, but without funding, it’s simply not viable. However, slowly but surely, programs are being established that promise to support infrastructure projects and help cities achieve the goal of becoming sustainable while at the same time improving the health and well- being of citizens.


What do you see as the key issues for the industry at the moment?


The UK is confronted with the fact that our 30 | electrical wholesalerApril 2023 ewnews.co.uk


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