Humanscale, the leading designer and manufacturer of high-performance ergonomic workplace solutions, announces a series of senior appointments across its international business as it continues to invest in key markets throughout Europe and Asia Pacific.

In September, Katrin Lauer joined Humanscale as Sales Director, DACH, while three new leaders expand the company’s leadership team across Asia Pacific. Ambroise d’Hauteville joins as Regional Director, Greater China, Hajime Hikino takes on the role of Sales Director, Japan, and Giles Poppleton, based in Singapore, assumes the newly created position of Managing Director, Global Accounts, APAC.

Together, the appointments bring significant experience spanning workplace design, furniture, architecture and interiors, commercial real estate and international business development, enhancing Humanscale’s ability to support customers across some of its most important international markets.

New Sales Leadership Across DACH

Katrin Lauer joins Humanscale as Sales Director, DACH, bringing extensive experience within the international design and furniture industry. Her career includes roles with two of the sector’s most recognised brands, HAY and Vitra, giving her a strong understanding of the premium design market alongside deep experience of developing client, dealer and architecture and design relationships across the region.

As Sales Director, DACH, she will lead Humanscale’s sales strategy across Germany, Austria and Switzerland, developing relationships with clients, dealer partners and the architecture and design community while supporting the company’s continued development across the region.

 Expanding Humanscale’s Leadership Across Asia Pacific

In Greater China, Ambroise d’Hauteville joins Humanscale after 24 years with Steelcase, bringing deep experience of the workplace industry and Asian markets. Having worked across Africa, Europe and Asia during his career, d’Hauteville has spent nearly two decades living and working across China and Asia, including Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. His previous experience has included regional sales and education leadership in Greater China, giving him an extensive network across the corporate real estate, design and education communities.

Based in Hong Kong, d’Hauteville will lead Humanscale’s business across Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau, focusing on accelerating growth and deepening the company’s relationships with clients and partners throughout Greater China.

In Japan, Hajime Hikino joins as Sales Director, bringing more than 25 years of experience in the workplace and design sector. Hikino spent 25 years with Workplace Solutions Inc., where he held a sales management role, before moving to Italian lighting brand Flos as Retail Area Manager in Japan. His long-standing experience within the Japanese workplace market brings extensive knowledge of local clients, partners and the wider design community.

 Giles Poppleton takes on the newly created position of Managing Director, Global Accounts, APAC, based in Singapore. He brings extensive experience in leadership, commercial real estate, business consulting and change management, including experience with end-user organisations such as Credit Suisse. His career spans complex client relationships across international markets, giving him a clear understanding of corporate workplace needs and priorities. This perspective adds strategic expertise to Humanscale’s support for multinational customers throughout Asia Pacific.

In his new role, Poppleton will develop and coordinate Humanscale’s relationships with global customers and end users across APAC, helping multinational organisations bring greater consistency to their workplace programmes while addressing the specific needs and priorities of individual markets.

Nikos Liapis, President of International Sales at Humanscale, said: “International growth is about much more than being present in a market—it is about having exceptional people on the ground who understand our customers, our industry and the nuances of doing business locally. Katrin, Ambroise, Hajime and Giles bring an impressive combination of experience, relationships and market knowledge to Humanscale, and I’m delighted to welcome them to the team.

“These appointments represent an important investment in our international business. From expanding our leadership in DACH, Greater China and Japan to building an even more connected approach to our global customers across APAC, we are putting in place the leadership and expertise to support the next phase of our growth. I’m excited about the energy and perspective each of them will bring to Humanscale and, most importantly, the value they will bring to our customers and partners.”

The expanded leadership team will support Humanscale as customers continue to rethink how and where people work. With multinational businesses increasingly looking for consistency across their global workplace portfolios alongside expertise within individual markets, Humanscale’s international network combines global reach with local knowledge to help customers create healthier, more comfortable and high-performing work environments.

The appointments reinforce Humanscale’s broader commitment to purposeful, human-centred design. For more than four decades, the company has developed ergonomic workplace solutions focused on simplicity, performance and environmental responsibility—principles that continue to shape both its products and its approach to supporting customers around the world.