Hochiki Europe, the life safety manufacturer, has appointed lighting expert Ian Hill as emergency lighting business manager.

Hill brings a wealth of industry experience to the role, with a technical background covering business development, sales of life safety equipment and product development. Hill will combine his industry sales experience with his technical expertise to bolster Hochiki Europe’s growth in the global emergency lighting sector. As part of his new role, he will support the widening of the company’s emergency lighting offering and other exciting developments on the horizon.

Starting his career within the design department at Simplex Lighting, Hill has spent decades developing his skillset across a variety of roles with lighting manufacturers including Philips and Fagerhult. He then made the transfer over to emergency lighting during his tenure at Eaton Electrical Systems, previously known as Cooper Lighting and Safety.

Hill commented: “I’ve admired Hochiki Europe’s work and reputation for some time, so when the opportunity arose, I couldn’t turn it down. The company has contributed vastly to the advances made within life safety over the past few years, especially with products such as its FIREscape collection. Working in a company with such an international foothold is also incredibly exciting.

“With so much room for growth within their emergency lighting sector, we have a real opportunity to make a positive difference. I plan on working closely with both the sales and product development teams to further the scope and capabilities of our lighting product ranges.”

Tracy Kirk, general manager, sales and marketing, Hochiki Europe, added: “Recent events and inquires have shown how vital clear routes of escape can be in an emergency situation. Ian’s extensive experience of emergency lighting will ensure we are reaching more people around the world with our ultra-dependable, intelligent solutions, and our existing customers continue to benefit from the most sought-after innovations within the industry as well as an exceptional service.”