Our new Executive Vice President Marketing brought refreshing energy and a strong grasp of the challenges and opportunities in the UK market during a whistle-stop tour.
Claudia Knaupp, already Executive Vice President Marketing Dining & Lifestyle and Global Branding at Villeroy & Boch Group, has recently taken on additional responsibility for marketing the Bathing & Wellness division.
Her two-day UK visit provided an opportunity to get to know the market, meet customers and colleagues, and gain a deeper understanding of the opportunities for the three brands.
The visit began in Clerkenwell with A&D Channel Director Jason Cadman. As well as being home to the London Design & Specification Centre (LDSC), Clerkenwell sits at the heart of the UK’s architecture and design community. Claudia toured the area before visiting the LDSC, where she discussed the showroom and exciting plans for its future.
She also met some of the UK’s leading customers, including CP Hart at its Waterloo showroom, and long-standing Villeroy & Boch retailer Burge & Gunson.
Barry Gunson from Burge & Gunson took time out of his busy schedule to meet with Claudia and UK Marketing Director Leanne Martin to discuss the brand and its potential for further growth in the UK.
Day two saw Claudia visit Hull, experiencing another side of the RMI market with a visit to a Plumb Centre trade counter and showroom.
She then joined UK Managing Director Lisa Whitfield and Retail Channel Director Rob Osborne for a review of the UK business, its channels, and the mid-term plans and strategy for growth.
The visit concluded with time spent with the UK marketing team, who shared their achievements from the first half of 2026 and plans for the remainder of the year.
Claudia said: “My recent trip to the UK was a important experience as part of my B&W onboarding. I was incredibly impressed by the deep expertise, dedication, and the genuine passion the UK team brings to growing our B&W business.”
She added: “For me, getting out into our markets is essential to understand local dynamics and find the best ways to support our teams. By aligning our global strategy with local expertise, we can drive our brands forward together. I am excited to be in my new role and look forward to collaborating closely with all our international teams.”
Leanne said: “It was great to have Claudia come over to learn about the UK market at such a busy time, as she takes on her additional responsibilities for Bathing & Wellness.
“The energy Claudia brought was refreshing and her grasp of the challenges and opportunities we have was amazing. We are looking forward to working with Claudia and the team to grow all three of our brands in the UK.”
Top image: Claudia is pictured third from left with some of the Marketing Team – left to right, Shardee Manzouri, Mike Smelt, Kelly Beazer, Natalie Sartain, Leanne Martin, Adrian Olsen and Anil Madan.
Middle image: Claudia is pictured in the middle with, left, A&D Channel Director Jason Cadman and UK Marketing Director Leanne Martin.