Villeroy & Boch has announced a significant reshaping of its senior leadership, marking a new strategic chapter for the German bathroom and lifestyle brand as it moves to a leaner, more collegial management structure.
The reshuffle follows the departure of Gabi Schupp, who served as chairwoman of the executive board since 2024 and as a board member since 2019. Schupp is stepping down for personal reasons after the Annual General Meeting on 31 May 2026, concluding a seven-year tenure that included overseeing the brand’s most transformative period in recent memory.
A landmark acquisition, completed
Central to Schupp’s legacy is the integration of Ideal Standard – the largest acquisition in Villeroy & Boch’s history. The deal significantly expanded the group’s footprint in the bathroom and wellness sector, and its full integration positions the company as a more powerful player in the premium European market.
“The integration of Ideal Standard is complete, the company’s transformation is progressing well, and the key foundations for further successful development have been laid,” said Schupp in a statement.
Supervisory board chairman Andreas Schmid paid tribute to her contribution: “She leaves behind a company that is ideally positioned for the future… she used the acquisition as a catalyst with entrepreneurial vision and great skill to transform a company with a long tradition into a forward-looking group.”
Schupp will remain available to the company in an advisory capacity following her departure.
New structure built around four divisions
Villeroy & Boch’s incoming Executive Board consolidates to four members, each aligned with the company’s core strategic priorities:
- Georg Lörz – executive board spokesperson; responsible for Bathroom & Wellness. A board member since 2020, Lörz steps into the new spokesperson role as the company moves away from a single CEO model.
- Dr Peter Domma – responsible for Dining & Lifestyle, Digitalisation, and IT.
- Dr Markus Warncke – continues to lead Finance.
- Esther Jehle – heads Human Resources & Organisational Development, and Operations within the Bath & Wellness division.
The shift to a spokesperson model rather than a traditional CEO structure signals a deliberate move toward distributed leadership – a governance approach gaining traction among European manufacturing groups seeking greater operational agility.
What this means for the brand
For the KBB industry, the restructure at Villeroy & Boch is worth watching. With Bathroom & Wellness now the clear focal point of the group’s leadership – and the Ideal Standard integration bedded in — the brand appears primed to accelerate its product and commercial strategy in the mid-to-premium bathroom segment.
The Dining & Lifestyle division, which Schupp herself repositioned during her tenure, passes to Dr Domma alongside a digital remit, suggesting the brand is keen to sharpen its e-commerce and tech capabilities alongside its heritage tableware offer.
The changes take effect following the Annual General Meeting and formal handover of responsibilities on 31 May 2026.