January 14, 2025
Legrand Names New Presidents for Finelite and OCL
Key lighting brands to be led by Chad Simpson and Dan Kohnen
Legrand has announced new strategic leadership appointments in its lighting sector. Chad Simpson, previously president of OCL Architectural Lighting, has been promoted to president of Finelite, a move that positions him at the helm of one of Legrand’s larger lighting brands. Simpson’s appointment follows a trend of OCL Presidents advancing to larger roles within the company, including Jimalee Beno and Jennifer Butler, who previously moved from OCL to President positions at Focal Point, which is believed to be Legrand’s largest lighting brand.
Dan Kohnen has been named president of OCL, succeeding Simpson. A native of St. Louis, where OCL is based, Kohnen brings extensive lighting industry experience, including his most recent tenure with Focal Point. He also co-founded Structura in 2008, an outdoor architectural lighting brand he led for several years. Kohnen’s deep understanding of architectural lighting, combined with his leadership background, positions him well to drive OCL’s business strategy and growth aspirations.
Tom Lowrey, president of Legrand's Lighting Sector and Building Control Systems, shared his enthusiasm about the opportunities these changes bring. “This provides opportunity for Chad and Dan to gain new experiences leading Finelite and OCL, respectively, which is great for our organization and our customers,” Lowrey said.
Bob Bonacci, who most recently served as president of Finelite, will transition to Wattstopper, taking on the role of Vice President of Sales and Services. Bonacci brings over a decade of experience in controls and was previously a key member of Wattstopper and Legrand’s Building Control Systems business unit.
Lowrey also commented on Bonacci’s new role. “We are excited to have Bob Bonacci returning to his roots in controls, and also to Boston to be near family, as our new VP of Sales and Services for Wattstopper,” he said. “Bob has over a decade of experience with controls and his time leading Finelite brings to our customers proven lighting and controls expertise they can benefit from.”
