In August 2026, Acuity Inc. and LEDVANCE successively announced management reshuffles. Headquartered in the United States and Germany respectively, the two companies share a strikingly similar strategic shift: both are reorienting their focus toward smart buildings, digitalization and B2B project‑based businesses.

Acuity Recruits a Seasoned Infrastructure Veteran from Siemens to Lead Its Lighting Division

On August 18, Acuity Inc. announced the appointment of Ruth Gratzke as President of its Acuity Brands Lighting (ABL), effective September 1. She will report directly to CEO Neil Ashe.

Gratzke does not come from the lighting industry, but boasts 25‑year experience in smart infrastructure. Her most recent role was President of Siemens Smart Infrastructure U.S. and CEO of Siemens Industry, where she oversaw smart buildings, grid‑edge technologies and energy infrastructure. Prior to that, she held senior management positions at GE and Hubbell.

Neil Ashe commented on the appointment that lighting and control systems are indispensable technologies within built environments. As an industry benchmark, ABL needs a leader with proven track records managing complex technology and infrastructure businesses, leading high‑performance teams and driving business growth — credentials that make Gratzke the right fit.

Outgoing President Sach Sankpal will remain in post for a transitional hand‑over period instead of departing immediately. Acuity expressed gratitude for his achievements during his tenure.

Implication: By hiring talent from Siemens’ smart infrastructure division to run its lighting business, Acuity intends to embed lighting deeper into smart building and digital infrastructure ecosystems, moving beyond mere luminaire sales.

LEDVANCE Promotes CFO to Managing Director with Focus on European B2B Business

LEDVANCE has carried out parallel organizational restructuring across Europe. Effective August 1, Dr. Markus Emmert was appointed Managing Director, while retaining his CFO role. He reports directly to CEO Sun Qinghuan.

A long‑standing LEDVANCE employee, Emmert joined the company upon its founding in 2016 and previously worked for Osram. Starting as European Finance Director, he was promoted to CFO and joined the Management Board in October 2023. He spearheaded LEDVANCE Digital Future (LDF), the group’s global transformation initiative aimed at iterating digital workflows, systems and services to streamline collaboration with customers and partners and fuel digital‑driven business growth.

LEDVANCE laid out clear priorities for this organizational adjustment: scaling up B2B and project businesses, strengthening ties with wholesale partners, and making targeted investments across the digital customer journey.

“Europe represents a critical growth market for LEDVANCE,” said Emmert. “We will deliver more targeted support for customers and wholesale partners through reliable products, services and digital solutions, while streamlining processes to continuously expand our B2B and project‑oriented operations.”

Separately, Jue Wang, Executive Senior Vice President, will leave the company for personal reasons effective September 30. LEDVANCE thanked him for his years of contributions.