Joe Derochowski is The NPD Group’s vice president, industry advisor for the home and home improvement industries. Joe has followed consumer behavioral trends throughout his career, developing a unique perspective on what consumers do and why they do it. Driven by this insight and his passion, Joe has been helping manufacturers and retailers identify opportunities for growth for the past 30 years, from product innovation to new marketing and merchandising opportunities. Joe’s background in all facets of business gives him the ability to connect the dots between the consumer and the marketplace and help companies understand today’s trends while anticipating future demands.

In addition to working closely with manufacturers and retailers throughout the home and home improvement industries, Joe is a frequent speaker at industry conferences where his combined consumer and industry-driven approach drives the insights he provides. He is also regularly quoted in trade and national media publications, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNBC, HomePage News, and HBS Dealer.

Joe received his MBA from Michigan State University and an undergraduate degree from GMI Engineering Management Institute. In addition to his tenure at The NPD Group, his previous work experience includes General Motors Parts, AT&T, Procter & Gamble, and Nielsen. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Tobias Gerfin has been CEO of Kuhn Rikon AG, a Swiss family-owned company in the field of cookware and cooking utensils since October 2013. The company’s products are marketed worldwide in 40 countries. Since 2019, he is President of the European Association for Cookware, Cutlery and Flatware (FEC).

After his studies and his doctorate at the ETH Zurich as a natural scientist, he worked at the EPF Lausanne on solar cells. His industrial career led him to Bruker in Fällanden in the field of NMR, Optrel, a leading company for welding helmets, in Toggenburg, and Glas Trösch in Bützberg, where he took over the management of the glass in interior work in 2007. In 2010 Tobias Gerfin was appointed CEO of Stoll Giroflex AG in Koblenz in the office furniture sector.

Nicki Gondell is a founding partner of Trend House Inc., a creative research firm specializing in the forecasting and reporting of lifestyle and design trends. She is expert at collecting and connecting DOTs — Data, Observations and Trends — and distilling those references into meaningful platforms for marketing and design direction. Trend House represents a library of international trend forecasters, and its in-house studio provides a wide range of consulting projects ranging from color palettes to broad-based consumer profiles.

Fran has spent her career in the housewares world, with a special passion for the retail side. Starting her career in Williams Sonoma and Pottery Barn stores, her big step into the world of retail was with Macy’s/Federated Product Development as the Product Manager for Tools of the Trade. She went on to become Brand Manager of Hard Home for Frederick Atkins, which led her to the fantastic opportunity at Whitford Worldwide. At Whitford, a leading nonstick coating company, Fran created the Worldwide Retail Marketing Program to provide retailers with the information and tools they needed so they could specify the ideal coating with precision. Over two decades, this program was expanded to other countries – and to other partners in the industry, including importers and brand owners. She has had the pleasure to work with retailers, importers, brand owners and factories around the world. In 2020, she opened her own creative agency, and in 2021, Fran was named the Managing Director of the Cookware and Bakeware Alliance (CBA). She brings her passion and love of housewares to this new chapter in her career, looking to connect this incredible industry.

Thomas Lee is a partner in the firm’s Energy, Environment and Infrastructure Practice Group, and is the leader of the Firm’s PFAS practice. Tom is a trusted advisor to clients on a range of environmental topics, and regularly works with clients in a variety of industries including real estate investment and development, food and agriculture, retail and consumer products, and chemical manufacturing and distribution.

Tom is the founder and editor of the firms’ Emerging Contaminants/Emerging Solutions blog, and writes regularly on a variety of topics including California’s Proposition 65, and the developing regulation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). He regularly presents at conferences and in webinars on these and other topics, and is the leader of the firm’s PFAS and Proposition 65 teams. Tom’s deep understanding of the ever-changing PFAS regulatory environment has made him a trusted counselor for companies evaluating their PFAS risk in transactional, regulatory, and litigation contexts.

Tom Mirabile serves as global consumer & style trend strategist to the International Housewares Association, and is principal and founder of Springboard Futures, a global trend services firm. Specializing in consumer insight and Home category trend research, he has created customized, actionable insight reporting for Walmart, Target, Amazon, Meijer, Kroger and Walgreen’s, among others. (www.SpringboardFutures.com)