October 9, 2025
Sternberg Realigns From the Inside With New Appointments
Above: Sternberg Lighting luminaires line Elm Avenue in East Waco, Texas. Photo credit: Sternberg Lighting
Three seasoned insiders take on expanded roles as John Geagan departs for NYC
Sternberg Lighting, LMPG’s largest U.S.-based manufacturing operation, has announced a new leadership structure following the departure of its president. The move reinforces LMPG’s ongoing strategy of promoting from within — a methodical approach that continues to shape the company’s identity across its expanding multi-brand portfolio.
The transition arrives just weeks after Sternberg announced another structural shift: a merger of U.S.-based operations with sister brand Lumca, forming Lumca by Sternberg. While Lumca continues as a standalone brand in Canada, the new U.S. collaboration creates a formidable site and area lighting platform, blending Sternberg’s legacy in traditional fixtures with Lumca’s contemporary design language.
New Leadership, Familiar Faces
Above: Mike Renner (L) chats with Al Uszynski (R) of Inside Lighting at LEDucation 2025.
Mike Renner, previously Vice President of Sales & Marketing, has been named Vice President and General Manager of Sternberg. A five-year veteran of the company, Renner brings both operational fluency and market savvy to the expanded role. His promotion follows the departure of John Geagan, who is leaving Sternberg for a leadership role outside the company.
Mike Rivera, formerly Director of Inside Sales, is now Senior Director of Sales. Rivera has spent the past five years deepening Sternberg’s regional relationships, particularly in municipal and site lighting segments.
Meanwhile, Derek Emeson steps into the role of Director of Marketing and Product Management. Emeson’s 18-year tenure includes stints in sales and product development, as well as leading the company’s recent showroom overhaul.
The leadership changes follow the September 2024 promotion of Rocco Masella, who moved from President of Sternberg to Chief Financial Officer of parent company LMPG. His successor, John Geagan, held the Sternberg role for just over a year before stepping down. Both transitions were followed by internal promotions — hallmarks of how LMPG often manages executive succession.
Postscript: Geagan Returns to NYC
After relocating to Illinois for the Sternberg role, John Geagan will return to the New York metro area to lead the NYC office of Diversified, one of the top independent rep agencies in the Northeast. Diversified has long been a powerhouse in the Philadelphia market and, in recent years, cemented its dominance in North Jersey through its acquisition of Liberty Lighting Group. But New York City has proven tougher terrain — where competition is fierce, reputations are hyper-local, loyalties are entrenched and a strong line card only gets you so far.
Bruce King, CEO and President of Diversified shared, “The addition of John Geagan in a leadership role in the New York marketplace accentuates Diversified’s continued commitment to this territory. John’s knowledge of the industry and experience in the manufacturing side of the business will help us build our line card and grow our presence, especially in the specification community.”
Geagan enters the market at a key moment. Diversified recently lost Leviton’s lighting and controls lines, prompting what may be a strategic recalibration. His challenge will center less on product and more on building trust, sharpening service, and navigating a landscape where responsiveness and relationships carry outsized weight.
Sternberg, the brand Geagan is exiting, is represented in New York City by rival agency Moxie Lighting. At Diversified, he’ll instead take on key outdoor lines including Hess America, an architectural site lighting brand where Geagan previously led national sales. It’s a return to familiar territory in more ways than one.
