May 28, 2025
Signify Names As Tempelman as Next Chief Executive
Above: As Tempelman (Photo courtesy of Signify)
Incoming CEO brings energy-sector experience to a lighting giant in flux
After a protracted transition that began with the exit of longtime CEO Eric Rondolat, Signify has officially named As Tempelman as its next Chief Executive Officer. He will assume the role on September 1, pending shareholder approval at an Extraordinary General Meeting in July. Until then, interim CEO Željko Kosanović — who stepped up on April 25 — will continue to lead the world’s largest lighting manufacturer.
Tempelman joins Signify after a five-year stint as CEO of Eneco, a Netherlands-based sustainable energy company. With executive experience spanning Shell and Eneco, Tempelman brings deep operational and environmental credentials to a company that finds itself needing both.
"The innovation, passion, and purpose that define this company are incredible," said Tempelman in the company’s announcement. "Looking to the future, I believe there is a real opportunity to grow."
A Year With Three CEOs
The appointment punctuates what may become the most transitional leadership year in Signify’s history. In a span of twelve months, the company will have had three different chief executives: Eric Rondolat (January through April), interim CEO Željko Kosanović (May through August), and As Tempelman (starting September).
If 2025 turns out to be a strong fiscal year, credit could be diffused among all three. If it’s another underperforming stretch, blame may be equally ambiguous. With multiple hands on the wheel at different intervals, assigning accountability could become a management Rorschach test.
The timeline effectively sets Tempelman up for a clean slate in 2026, allowing him to claim that year as his first full fiscal cycle in charge — a strategic advantage when introducing new plans or redirecting company strategy.
Tempelman's Track Record at Eneco
At Eneco, Tempelman presided over a company with a footprint across the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and the UK. The Rotterdam-based energy supplier is owned by Japan’s Mitsubishi Corporation (70%) and Chubu Electric Power (30%).
While full-year results for Eneco’s most recent fiscal year, which ended March 31, are still pending, its revenues for the 12 months ending March 2024 were €8.36 billion — a 23% drop from €10.9 billion the year before. Still, under Tempelman's leadership, Eneco's top line has doubled since his first year as CEO, when the company reported €4.15 billion in revenue.
Eneco has touted its profitability gains under Tempelman, even amid that recent top-line contraction. According to Signify’s press release, the company tripled profitability under his leadership. It’s a line that invites scrutiny once the forthcoming 2025 financials are published.
Financial Headwinds and Shrinking Sales
Tempelman inherits a company under considerable strain. After peaking above €7.5 billion in 2022, Signify’s revenue tumbled 18% to €6.143 billion in 2024. The company’s stock price followed suit, falling 29% last year. Although modest recovery has been seen in 2025 — a 2.5% year-to-date increase.
First-quarter results for 2025 didn’t inspire confidence. Revenue slid to €1.45 billion, marking the lowest quarterly performance since the early COVID era. Particularly troubling was a double-digit decline in the OEM segment, a once-stable engine of the business.
These numbers suggest that Kosanović’s interim months won’t simply be a waiting period — they’ll be a triage phase. His dual role as CFO and interim CEO places him at the intersection of operational discipline and strategic pause, at a moment when investor patience may be running thin.
What Comes Next?
For a company that prides itself on being a global leader in lighting innovation, the next twelve months may be less about illumination and more about internal alignment. With Tempelman set to arrive in September, Signify enters a critical waiting period — one part stabilization, one part strategic recalibration.
Will Tempelman bring an energy-sector perspective to the lighting business? Will his appointment usher in the kind of organizational clarity that has been missing in recent quarters? And perhaps most urgently, can he arrest a multi-year slide in revenues and stock value?
Signify’s Supervisory Board has placed a large bet on Tempelman’s “strategic vision” and his ability to “build an inclusive high-performance culture.” For now, that vision remains just that — a promise. The execution begins in September.
