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From Home Furnishing Business
Sonneman Lighting Expands Leadership Team
June 3,
2020 by Jane Chero in Business Strategy, Designer Weekly, Industry 
Sonneman—A Way of Light, a pioneer in sophisticated, contemporary lighting, has expanded its leadership team with the promotion of two senior-level team members. Gray Sessoms, formerly director of sales at Sonneman, has been promoted to vice president of sales. Additionally, Matthew Sonneman has been promoted from director of sales and market development to vice president of business development.
“These recent promotions within our team demonstrate Sonneman’s strong commitment to encouraging growth of our talented and like-minded, creative team,” said Robert Sonneman, founder and chief creative officer, Sonneman. “ I know these leaders will excel within their new roles and expanded responsibilities while assisting in growing the Sonneman name, building our culture, and providing superb services for our clients.”
Gray Sessoms brings over 25 years of experience on the agent side of the lighting business and almost 10 years on the manufacturing side to his new role. Prior to joining the Sonneman team as director of sales, Sessoms served as regional vice president of sales for the Eastern United States at Troy CSL Lighting, among other roles in the lighting industry. In his new role Sessoms will oversee the entire sales operation including internal processes and policies.
“The key to successful selling is believing in fundamental aspects of your product. When it comes to lighting I am passionate about the quality of light and integrity in representation. Manufacturers should always strive to provide the best possible product with the best possible performance,” says Sessoms. “That is how I found myself at Sonneman. Their team holds these same values and I am proud to be a member of this family.”
Matthew Sonneman has been with the company since 2010 when he began his first internship while attending Ohio University. He was hired as Sales and Marketing Manager in 2013, traveling around the country for sales meetings and managing the sales representative force. In 2019, he transitioned to Director of Sales and Market Development, before being promoted to his current role as Vice President of Business Development. In this new position, Sonneman will identify new market opportunities, provide insight for product development, and build the strategy for the company’s showroom at the New York Design Center. He plans to leverage his in-field experience and knowledge of the company’s internal infrastructure to increase the scalability of the business.
“In my career thus far, I have enjoyed seeing how the lighting industry has evolved and how the Sonneman team has grown from a small organization of eight people, to an enterprise of over 50 people,” says Sonneman. “I enjoy working with the talented, creative minds in our industry to provide lighting solutions for today’s environments. I am excited to participate in defining what’s next.”
Sonneman products are available for purchase through the Dallas Market Center, the New York Design Center, about 2,000 retailers throughout the United States and Canada, and the YDesign Group e-commerce platforms, among others.