Deroma, a Njord Partners Portfolio Company, Appoints New CEO

Deroma, the world’s largest Terracotta producer, together with Njord Partners, today announce the appointment of Stefano Mele as CEO of Deroma, effective from 4 March 2024.

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Stefano is a highly experienced business leader in Italy, focused on the manufacturing and industrial sectors where he has a track record of delivering successful growth strategies. Stefano’s diverse background spans various sectors, from textiles and ceramics to machines and printing. As a proven leader, he has held key roles as CEO and Managing Director in international companies and business units.

Stefano has most recently been CEO of Ceramica Dolomite, an Italian bathroom sanitaryware manufacturer specialized in ceramics with 360 employees. In less than two years, he has transformed the company, which was earmarked for closure, by relaunching the commercial production of the company, creating 7 new product series in one year and developing collaboration with other sanitaryware manufacturers to facilitate reshoring their production. Before this, Stefano was CEO of Fabbri Group, an Italian fresh food packaging designer and producer.

Stefano’s multi-lingual skills and extensive international experience spanning Europe, North and South America, India and China will be invaluable for Deroma’s global expansion.

Stefano Mele, incoming CEO, commented: “I am excited to join Deroma as CEO. I hope to use my proven leadership skills and industry expertise to drive the next phase of Deroma’s growth, working together with the whole Deroma team to produce outstanding products based on the legacy of craftmanship developed over almost 70 years. I look forward to working closely with Njord Partners to deliver on this incredible opportunity.”

Arvid Trolle, Partner at Njord Partners, said: “Stefano is a world-class leader and he will be instrumental in our exciting plans to double the size of the business and further expand globally. Stefano’s experience across the wider ceramics industry will enable Deroma to fuel the gardening passion of millions of people with the continued pursuit of the highest quality Terracotta, plastic and glazed pots.”

About Stefano Mele

Stefano began his career in 1990 as a Project Engineer at Alcatel. He went on to hold management positions at Nuova Fima, Viappiani Printong, SIAT and GEA Group. Most recently, he was CEO of Fabbri Group (2019-2022) where he achieved double-digit increases in both turnover and EBITDA through entering new markets and launching a new range of environmentally sustainable products and integrated software solutions. Since 2022, Stefano has been the CEO of Ceramica Dolomite where he has relaunched their commercial production, creating seven new product series in less than two years.

About Deroma

Deroma Group is the largest Terracotta producer globally and is headquartered in Italy. Deroma produces in Europe and the United States and operates globally, with recent expansion in the UK, Asia Pacific and Eastern Europe. As a global leader in high-end garden products, Deroma also designs and distributes pots and vases made of plastic, glazed and other materials. Deroma was successfully acquired by Njord Partners in June 2021.

To find out more visit: https://deroma.com

About Njord Partners

Njord Partners is a special situations investment manager and provider of long-term flexible capital solutions. Established in 2013, Njord Partners manages capital in excess of €1 billion. Investing in European middle-market companies facing complex situations. Its mission is to deliver superior risk-weighted returns to investors while preserving capital. As a capital partner, Njord Partners offers flexible debt and equity solutions, actively facilitating strategic and operational enhancements within its portfolio companies to drive value, with a particular focus on existing debt securities and structures.

To find out more visit: https://njordpartners.com/

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Contact information

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