NKBA Names 2022 Board of Directors

The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA), the authority on the residential kitchen and bath marketplace and owners of the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS), has announced the 2022 NKBA Board of Directors. These new board members will officially take their positions January 1, 2022.

2022 NKBA BOARD OFFICERS

Basil E. Larkin, Chair

Vice President of Sales, Hestan Commercial Corp., Anaheim, CA

Larkin is responsible for all sales at Hestan, a manufacturer of premium commercial restaurant equipment and residential indoor/outdoor appliances. He has been in the appliance business for most of his career, and has held key roles in sales leadership, marketing and product development. Before joining Hestan, Larkin was General Manager at BSH Home Appliances, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Lynx Professional Grills, and Vice President of Sales at Viking Range Corporation.

Randy Warner, Vice Chair

Vice President of Sales, Signature Kitchen Suite and LG Builder, Englewood Cliffs, NJ

Warner leads the sales teams for both Signature Kitchen Suite, LG’s luxury kitchen appliance division and LG Builder. Previously, he was Vice President of Sales for the Luxury Division of Samsung where he integrated the Dacor brand into the parent company. Warner began his career at Maytag, working for 15 years in sales management positions, and then he joined Electrolux, launching and overseeing the West Coast Builder Division as well as managing the national Buying Groups. Later, he was named President of Distribution of the West and Southwest for Sub-Zero.

Kristen Elder, Secretary/Treasurer

Vice President of Residential Builder & Showrooms at Ferguson Enterprises, Newport News, VA

In her role at Ferguson, Elder is responsible for showroom and builder strategy and execution. An accomplished consumer product sales and marketing leader, she joined Ferguson in 2019 as Senior Director of Appliance Business Development. Elder has worked with the business groups, in sourcing, category management, marketing and the branch network to boost sales and profitability of Ferguson’s appliance business.

2022 NKBA BOARD MEMBERS

Jan Neiges, CMKBD

Principal of Jan Neiges, Highlands Ranch, CO

Neiges is an award-winning kitchen designer and past President of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the NKBA. With 40 years of sales and 20 years of design experience, she is a frequent guest lecturer at colleges, home shows and at NKBA’s Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS). Neiges advises kitchen and bath designers on marketing and selling skills, helping to shorten the lead-to-sale cycle, improve the closing ration and earn design fees before they design.

Jan Heck

President & CEO, Miele USA, Princeton, NJ

Named President and CEO of Miele USA in 2016, Heck oversees all operations of the company’s consumer and professional use appliance and floor care products, including the 10 U.S. Miele Experience Centers. His career began at Bizerba, a weighing and food processing equipment manufacturer. He joined Miele in Ontario where he became President of the Miele Ltd. Canadian subsidiary in 1999. Heck was a board member of St. Joseph’s Health Centre in Toronto where he orchestrated a $100 million fundraising campaign.

MIKAEL AKERBERG

Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, nobilia North America, Miami, FL

Akerberg, who has been CEO of nobilia North America since 2017, has over 20 years of experience as an international executive supplying products and services to the construction and remodeling market. At nobilia he has focused on building sales and expanding logistics to fulfill the demands of the retail and wholesale markets as well as the construction industry in multiple countries. Prior to joining nobilia, Akerberg held executive positions at Saint-Gobain S.A. and Jeld-Wen Inc. 

LOUIS M. ROHL

Chair and Founder, The House of ROHL, Irvine, CA

In his current position, Rohl serves as The House of ROHL’s strategic thought leader in the U.S. and is responsible for relationships with key vendors and customers. Rohl started his career nearly four decades ago, working at St. Charles Kitchens in St. Charles, IL, and at KWC Faucets in Switzerland before becoming a founding member of ROHL. He is an industry partner at the American society of Interior Designers, an Interior Design Continuing Education Credited Instructor, and a member of the executive coaching organization, Vistage International.

KEN ROBERTS

President, Delta Faucet Company, Indianapolis, IN

Promoted to President in 2018, Roberts has been with Delta Faucet Company for 22 years. Prior to his current position, he had been President of Masco Canada. Known for his ability to build teams and manage complexity, Roberts has held leadership positions at Delta in sales, international business development, manufacturing, engineering, forecasting, purchasing and logistics. He also spent three years overseas developing Delta Faucet Company’s China operations.

KEN WILLIAMS

President, Caesarstone North America, Charlotte, NC

Williams, who joined Caesarstone in 2016, specializes in building strong teams with core values of high performance, people, innovation, customer focus and credibility. Previously, he held various senior executive level positions, including Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing in Masco Corporation divisions, and general management roles at Fortune Brands, Redhill Company Ltd., and Thorn Stevenson Kellogg Management Consultants.

The National Kitchen & Bath Association:

With nearly 50,000 members in all segments of the kitchen and bath industry, the NKBA has educated and led the industry since the association’s founding in 1963. The NKBA mission is to inspire, lead and empower the kitchen and bath industry through professional certification and learning, community and events.

For more information, visit NKBA.org or call (800) 843-6522.

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