The Rug Company, a globally recognized leader in luxury and contemporary rug design, announces the appointment of Andrew B. Cogan as Chairman of the company’s Board of Directors. Mr. Cogan will join the board effective January 2022.
Prior to joining The Rug Company, Andrew Cogan served more than 30 years as the Chairman & CEO of Knoll Inc., a $1.2 billion international furniture brand for residential, contract, and hospitality interiors. As the CEO of Knoll, Cogan spearheaded the brand through significant changes in the economy and workplace. Notably, he rebalanced the company’s mix of business in terms of office and residential exposure through organic sales growth, direct-to-consumer e-commerce channels, and design initiatives as well as acquisitions. Before leaving the brand in 2021, Mr. Cogan also helped engineer the sale of Knoll, Inc. to Herman Miller in a $1.8 billion transaction that will result in the creation of the preeminent global leader in modern design. Joining The Rug Company’s Board of Directors will be Cogan’s first position following his departure from Knoll.
Mr. Cogan commented “I look forward to working with The Rug Company, the leading global brand in luxury designer rugs, to leverage the experience and skills we employed at Knoll and help drive growth across high design trade, consumer, and contract channels. With a tremendous opportunity globally and specifically in North America, I am excited to be part of a dynamic design-driven brand known for its timeless designs, artisanal and sustainable luxury products, digital innovation, and sustainability.” Cogan added, “I believe that The Rug Company is exceptionally well-positioned to take advantage of secular tailwinds and a strong market for luxury home designs, and I look forward to supporting James Seuss and his talented team to execute the company’s exciting growth plans and cement its category leadership.”
Mr. Cogan is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Harvard College where he majored in Social Studies. He currently serves as Director of the American Woodmark Corporation and Sonneman as well as serves on the External Advisory Board of the Master in Design Engineering Program at Harvard University.
“I’m thrilled to welcome Andrew as Chairman of The Rug Company. His leadership, business expertise, and industry knowledge are great assets to our company and Board of Directors”, said James Seuss, CEO of The Rug Company. “The Rug Company delivered a record performance in 2021 underpinned by exceptional growth in its core residential business, particularly in the US, and strong continued expansion of its digital capabilities, global partnerships, and non-residential luxury contract offering. The performance reflects its core strengths as the go-to brand for luxury rugs with exceptional design, craftsmanship, and service. Andrew has an innate sensibility for our values, and we will be able to draw on his decades of experience of building an iconic global interiors brand to help drive our accelerated growth trajectory.”
James Seuss joined The Rug Company in 2015 as CEO with a background in luxury and fashion retail including Tiffany & Co. Harry Winston and Stella McCartney. Under the leadership of Seuss as CEO, the business has expanded its international footprint with a focus on the US as a key expansion market, which now represents greater than 60% of sales. Serving the global design community, the share of B2B sales has grown to represent more than 75% of group sales. Significant investment into its digital capabilities has resulted in an industry-leading digital proposition with rapidly scaling e-commerce sales.
About The Rug Company
The Rug Company is the leading brand in contemporary, handmade rugs with 25 years of experience delivering the finest quality designs for private residences and public spaces across the world.
A go-to brand for artisanal and sustainable luxury in the global interior design industry, The Rug Company is represented in some of the most luxurious environments in the world such as the Equinox Hotel, Manolo Blahnik Retail Stores, and Stormbreaker Yacht. The company is known for its distinctive design-led collections developed through exclusive collaborations with high-profile designs such as Alexander McQueen, Kelly Wearstler, Paul Smith, and Diane Von Furstenberg as well as its in-house collections and dedicated custom design capabilities. Its products are made using the finest artisanal craftsmanship from dedicated master weavers in Nepal, India, and China, using sustainable practices and materials.
Founded in London in 1997, The Rug Company is now represented in 17 countries through 36 locations including partner showrooms. Digital sales have continued to double and be the main area of focus in addition to our showrooms. New top-level hires into its contract division mean the business is now poised for rapid expansion into non-residential as well as maintaining its market-leading position in residential sales. New showrooms are planned for launch in the US and Europe from 2022 increasing reach to unserved markets where there exist further growth opportunities.
To learn more please visit https://www.therugcompany.com/us/.