Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Derek Miller has been named president of the International Housewares Association (IHA), succeeding Phil Brandl who will retire at the end this year. He is currently IHA’s vice president, global marketing, and will take up his new role of president on October 1. Phil will remain at IHA until December 31.
Phil said: “We have a great staff and senior management team at IHA, and Derek has been an incredibly integral part of that for a long time. I congratulate Derek and believe he’s a great choice to lead the IHA organisation.”
Derek commented: “Having worked in housewares for more than 22 years, I’m extremely pleased to continue serving the industry, the International Home + Housewares Show [a trade exhibition held annually in Chicago which is owned and operated by IHA] and the IHA through this new position. I look forward to working with the IHA board of directors and leading the IHA staff to further develop the Show and other projects for the benefit of our entire industry.”
He joined IHA in December 1999 as director, international business development, and was named vice president, international services in October 2001. He led IHA’s international department until March 2014 when he was named vice president, global marketing.
During his tenure in international services, Derek more than doubled international buyer attendance at the International Home + Housewares Show; developed the International Business Council Global Forum programme to provide IHA members with direct education and networking with key buyers; and developed the current model for IHA trade missions, leading more than 18 trade missions to 12 countries, including Australia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, India, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Sweden and the UK.
As vice president, global marketing, Miller developed and implemented The Inspired Home consumer engagement programme, which attracts more than 5 million page views annually to www.TheInspiredHome.com and now includes ‘The Inspired Home Journal’: a print magazine sold in retail stores nationwide; developed an integrated marketing programme to attract global buyers and exhibitors to the International Home + Housewares Show; led a redesign of IHA’s website and created an interconnected blog; and built the Global Innovation Awards (gia) programme, which annually honours 25 global retailers, 65 product suppliers and eight exhibitor displays.
Prior to joining IHA, Miller served as director of international sales/marketing at Nordic Ware. He has a master’s degree in international management from Thunderbird School of Global Management and a bachelor’s degree in business administration/marketing from Colorado State University.
The IHA bills itself as the 80-year-old voice of the housewares industry, which accounted for $355.4 billion at retail worldwide in 2016 ($87.1 billion at retail in the US).
The not-for-profit, full-service association sponsors the International Home + Housewares Show, and offers its 1,700 member companies a wide range of services, including industry and government advocacy, export assistance, State-of-the-Industry reports, point-of-sale and consumer panel data through Housewares MarketWatch, executive management peer groups, a web-based community at www.housewares.org and group buying discounts on business solutions services.
