Furniture Veteran John Edelman Joins Haworth Lifestyle

Edelman will lead the company's North and South American operations, uniting luxury furniture brands like Cassina, Poltrona Frau, and Zanotta.

Published on Feb. 22, 2026

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John Edelman, known for reviving Design Within Reach and Heller, has joined Haworth Lifestyle as President, North & South America. In this new role, Edelman will oversee operations of Haworth Lifestyle's luxury Italian design brands including Cappellini, Cassina, Ceccotti, Poltrona Frau, and Zanotta, with the goal of creating a unified strategy to better resonate with the American market.

Why it matters

Haworth Lifestyle is looking to gain market share in the U.S. by bringing in an experienced furniture executive like Edelman, who has a track record of reviving struggling design brands. Edelman's appointment signals the company's ambition to grow its presence in design hubs like New York and Miami, as well as emerging markets like Nashville and Houston.

The details

Edelman will report directly to Haworth Lifestyle CEO Dario Rinero and his main objective will be to develop a new, cohesive strategy for the American market across all of Haworth Lifestyle's brands. This is a shift from the previous approach of having separate strategies for each brand. Edelman also recently purchased and became CEO and president of Heller, which has now become part of Haworth's portfolio of brands.

  • Edelman joined Haworth Lifestyle in February 2026.

The players

John Edelman

A veteran of the furniture and design industry, known for reviving the Design Within Reach and Heller brands.

Dario Rinero

The CEO of Haworth Lifestyle, the parent company that owns luxury Italian design brands like Poltrona Frau, Cassina, and Zanotta.

Haworth Lifestyle

A division of the Haworth Group that owns and operates luxury Italian furniture brands including Poltrona Frau, Cassina, Zanotta, and Cappellini.

Heller

A design-focused furniture company that Edelman recently purchased and integrated into Haworth Lifestyle's portfolio of brands.

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What they’re saying

“My job is to develop a new strategy for the American markets encompassing all the brands with one overall strategy, versus having separate for each. That's the exciting part of what I am going do.”

— John Edelman, President, North & South America, Haworth Lifestyle (WWD)

“I have personally known John for many years, and in that time, I've learned he is one of the most knowledgeable leaders in our sector in the USA.”

— Dario Rinero, CEO, Haworth Lifestyle (WWD)

The takeaway

Edelman's appointment signals Haworth Lifestyle's ambition to grow its presence in the lucrative U.S. market by leveraging his expertise in reviving design brands and creating a unified strategy across its portfolio of luxury Italian furniture labels.