Paul Flowers

Chief Design and Brand Officer, and Executive Vice President, LIXIL

Born in London 1972; graduated from The University of Northumbria (Newcastle) with a first class honors degree in Product Design. During his diverse international career, he has worked from small prestigious London design studios to some of the largest organizations in the world, including FM (UK), Design House (UK) IBM (UK), Electrolux (Italy), Philips (Netherlands).

From November 2005, he was the Senior Vice President of Design for Grohe (Germany). In April 2015, Paul Flowers was appointed to the new role of Chief Design Officer (CDO) of LIXIL Water Technology, in 2017 his role was further extended to CDO of LIXIL Global Design, including LIXIL Housing Technology. In 2020, LIXIL redefined the role of Corporate Officers and Paul’s responsibilities were also expanded to include building and leading a separate Global Brand Identity team, with this, Paul is currently the Chief Design and Brand Officer, and Executive Vice President, LIXIL. As Leader, LIXIL Global Design and Brand Identity, Paul is a member of both the LIXIL Diversity and Inclusion Committee and the LIXIL Environmental Sustainability Committee.

During his productive career he has accumulated a plethora of prestigious international design awards including ID Magazine 1999 and 2000, Good Industrial Design Award 2001 followed by various Red Dot product awards from 2005 to 2015 including five “best of the best” in 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2014 and Red Dot communication awards in 2011, 2013 and 2014, numerous iF product awards from 2005 to 2016, iF China 2006, 2007 and 2010, iF communication award 2008, 2009 and 2012, iF Material award 2011, Good Design 2006, 2008 and 2010 to 2015 and Green Good Design 2010 to 2015, Perspective Award Hong Kong 2011 and 2013 awarded with the Trophy, Design for Asia in 2015, Good Design Japan 2006 and from 2010 to 2015, Prix du Design 2008, Janus Award France 2008, Manufacturer Award 2008, Grand Design award UK 2009, IDEA Bronze in 2010, D&AD 2007 and 2010, the I.D. Annual Design Award 2010, Interior Innovation award 2011, 2014 to 2016, the Design plus in 2005, 2007 and 2011, Designer Kitchen and Bathroom Magazine 2008 and 2012 Gold Award, European Consumers Choice in 2010 and 2011, German Design Iconic Award “best of the best” 2014 and more than 200 international design and brand awards to present date.

In 2008 Paul Flowers was included on the prestigious ‘40 under 40’ list established by the European Centre of Architecture, Art, Design and Urban Studies; it recognizes the top 40 European creative talents under the age of 40. In 2012 he successfully led the Grohe design team to one of the highest design accolades in the world, the red dot “design team of the year”.

As a design expert, Paul has resided on many international design Juries from The NDTV (Television) Awards India, The Designer Kitchen and Bath Awards UK, IF Design Communication and Product Awards Germany, The Perspective Design Award Hong Kong, the DBA Effectiveness Award to the Dezeen Awards 2021. Paul has also been a key note speaker at international events like WAF, Waterwise Conference Oxford, Design City Luxembourg, WACOM Anniversary Japan, Sleep Event and numerous others as well.

From 2017 to 2019 Paul sat on the Board of Directors at the Design Business Association (DBA). The DBA is a unique non-profit association that aims to sustain the rising reputation and growth of design, by being the bridge between design and business. As a Board Director Paul worked closely with the management team to develop strategies and frameworks to drive design further up the agenda in business and government to build universal confidence in design investment.