For Immediate Release
May 7, 2018
LIXIL Group Corporation

Paul Flowers Appointed to Expanded Role as LIXIL Chief Design Officer
Proven design-led approach from water technology business to support transformation of housing businessTokyo, Japan – Paul Flowers, who has transformed LIXIL Water Technology (LWT) into a multi-award
winning design-led organization, is to expand his role to become LIXIL’s Chief Design Officer, also
overseeing LIXIL Housing Technology (LHT). The move will bring enhanced consumer-focused design
methodologies to enable greater product differentiation at LHT, which makes a wide range of housing
products including windows, entrance doors, exteriors and interiors. The appointment is effective July 1,2018.
Paul served as Senior Vice President of Design for Grohe for ten years, leading the team to become thefirst brand in the sanitary industry to win the prestigious Red Dot: Design Team of the Year award in
2011. He assumed the role of Chief Design Officer of LIXIL Water Technology (LWT) in April 2015, and inthat role has taken the creative, design-thinking culture that had been so successful in defining theGrohe brand, and applied it to LIXIL’s portfolio of leading water technology brands.
LWT is now home to a dedicated in-house design team, based at design studios in Japan, Germany, theUS, and Thailand. As a measure of the team’s success, LWT has won 49 prestigious iF and red dot design
awards in the past three years with an increasing number of brands picking up awards beyond Grohe,while new differentiated products drove faster-than-market growth across all product categories at LWTin Japan.
LIXIL President & CEO, Kinya Seto commented, “Design is now a key driver of our differentiation
strategy, along with technology, quality and brand. Paul has been absolutely influential in embedding adesign-centric approach at LWT that is consistently producing attractive, differentiated products thatappeal to consumer needs. With the strategic fundamentals now on track at LWT, I am pleased toexpand Paul’s role to also oversee housing, and am confident that differentiated products will drive
similar growth at LHT in the years to come.”
Paul Flowers said, “With technological innovation happening faster than ever and unlimited informationand peer-to-peer communication at our fingertips, consumers now have more power than ever before
to select the brands and products that meet their needs. In this increasingly connected yet fragmented
marketplace, LIXIL is adopting a progressive approach to design, tapping into consumer trends early
and turning these insights into experiences for our consumers. I look forward to the exciting newchallenge with our housing business, and am confident that we can bring greater value to LIXIL’sbrands.”-Ends-

About LIXIL
LIXIL makes pioneering water and housing products that solve everyday, real-life challenges, making better homes areality for everyone, everywhere. Drawing on our Japanese heritage, we create world-leading technology and innovate tomake high quality products that transform homes. But the LIXIL difference is how we do this; through meaningful design,an entrepreneurial spirit, a dedication to improving accessibility for all, and responsible business growth. Our approachcomes to life through industry leading brands, including INAX, GROHE, American Standard, and TOSTEM. Over 70,000
colleagues operating in more than 150 countries are proud to make products that touch the lives of more than a billion
people every day.
LIXIL Group Corporation (TSE Code: 5938) is the listed holding company for LIXIL’s portfolio of businesses.

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