At 70 years young, globe-trotting industry maverick and sales guru, Harry von den Stemmen, announces that he will be taking life slightly easier in the immediate future as he steps back from his post as international sales director to continue working as a global key account manager as well as taking an ambassadorial role within the company.

Says Harry, “I celebrated my 70th birthday last month and after 50 hard working years in this amazing industry, the last nearly 20 as a public face of Robe, I felt it was the right time to adjust my work-life balance, turn in a few less hours and air-miles every month, and spend more time with my grandchildren and the many other hobbies and activities I enjoy in addition to work!”

Since 2003, Harry has been at the forefront of Robe’s push to become a market leader in the world of moving lights and LED technology. His zeal and passion for the industry and the brand, coupled with his understanding of diverse cultures, mindsets, and approaches to commerce, plus an amazing set of connections have helped build Robe’s dynamic long term worldwide distribution network from the ground up. This has been the bedrock of the company’s success, together with Robe’s innovative product development strategies.

Josef Valchar, Robe s.r.o.’s CEO stated, “Harry has been absolutely pivotal to building our brand on a global scale. His massive fund of experience, insights, attention to detail and unparalleled diplomatic skills have been among our greatest strengths, so we were all delighted when Harry indicated that he would like to continue being a valued part of our Robe team in an adjusted role.”

This will see Harry continue to travel, although not at quite such a furious pace, and spend time working on Robe special projects in selected regions. He will still manage specific global territories and will be engaging with some key communication and promotional activities that underscore Robe’s strong brand identity, customer loyalty and commitment to a sustainable future.

“There are plenty of challenges ahead with much to look forward to, most of all remaining in the industry and collaborating with people I admire and respect,” commented Harry, admitting that he intends to fully enjoy his additional time, although much of it is already allocated!

Stepping up as international sales director while Harry takes on the new role is Ingo Dombrowski, who has been with the company for 18 years and also played a significant role in Robe becoming a worldwide player.

Well known for his technical acumen, lateral thinking and organisational skills, Ingo will initiate, co-ordinate and spearhead international business together with the international sales force and Robe’s subsidiaries.

“I’m very honoured that Josef and Ladislav (Petřek, co-founder & co-owner of Robe) are putting so much trust in me, and I look forward to dealing with the challenges and work ahead, and to proudly continuing the Robe success story!” he noted.

Ingo feels that reliability and future proofing have contributed massively to the brand’s rising star, together with keeping a sharp ear to the ground, listening to client and end-user needs and incorporating that input into the products. This proactivity will continue to underpin the product development cycles ‘on his watch’ he confirmed.

Josef concluded, “I am confident that Ingo’s expertise and knowledge will help provide continuity in the international sales director role at this critical time.

“Robe’s market position today is the result of some highly creative and talented individuals with many specialities working together as a brilliant team. We have always believed in investing in ‘human capital’ and in putting its empowerment, energy, imagination, and inspiration at the core of our operation and our family.”