Solon, Ohio—Tarkett North America, welcomed Omoleye Simmons as vice president of design for the company’s commercial business.
“This new position was created as part of Tarkett’s commitment to leading the industry in design and delivering on our promise to offer beautiful, on-trend flooring solutions for any space,” said Paul Young, senior vice president, product, innovation, design and sustainability, Tarkett North America. “We’re excited to welcome Omoleye to our team and look forward to seeing her vision come to life.”
An accomplished designer, Simmons spent the better part of a decade at Shaw Contract, where she developed impactful product collections and served as design lead in innovation initiatives, according to the company. As a former art educator, she said she has experience coaching designers in technology and concept development, translating art to product. She earned her bachelor’s degree in art from Winthrop University and a master of science in textile design from Philadelphia University.
Simmons has won more than a dozen industry awards, most recently two NYCxDESIGN Awards in 2020 for best product.
In this new role, Tarkett said Simmons will serve as the voice of Tarkett design within the interiors industry. She will be a key speaker and spokesperson, representing the brand at industry events and customer meetings. She will assess the design landscape, with a special emphasis on end-use segmentation, sharing feedback from customers and the Tarkett sales teams to help guide the design process, ensuring any gaps are identified and recommending solutions to remain on top of current design trends. She will also work in collaboration with the organization, specifically marketing, product management, segment leaders, manufacturing and sales, to ensure the needs of architects, designers and end-use clients are effectively represented.
“I’ve always been inspired by the artistic process, a form of expression that is constantly evolving,” Simmons said. “Part of my role at Tarkett is to create an environment where the design team is continually inspired by new approaches to design. This will be a space where we craft compelling stories that become impactful products. I’m excited for the future of design at Tarkett.”