After 21 “brilliant” years working with Czech lighting and LED manufacturer Robe s.r.o., outgoing Global Sales Director Ingo Dombrowski will step away from the business and retire from active duties at the end of 2025! 

Ingo joined Robe in 2004 initially as Business Development Manager, then became a Key Account Manager for Europe helping to manage a period of rapid growth for the company which saw it jump from being the aspiring ‘new kid in the bloc’ to a global market leader in moving light and LED technology. “It’s been an absolutely incredible journey,” Ingo stated, “and I am very proud to have played a part in Robe’s incredible ascendency”. 

After the end of 2025, Ingo will be re-defining his work-life balance and focusing on sailing, cycling, spending time with his family and grandchildren plus the many other activities he enjoys. 

Meantime, Ingo’s handover to Michel Arntz who takes over the Global Sales Director mantle for The Robe Group, has already taken place over the past year.

Josef Valchar, Robe s.r.o’s  CEO, commented, “We will miss Ingo enormously! His knowledge, experience, technical acumen and passion for the job have been of huge value and a vital contributor to Robe’s success. 

“Apart from that, his character, humanity and balanced and fair outlook on life have been as inspiring as his commitment to finding innovative solutions to help keep us ahead of the curve. And … let’s not forget his killer dancefloor moves!” 

Ingo has been in the entertainment / production industry all his professional life. 

“A bit nerdy” by his own admission, Ingo’s interest in lighting and all things technical started early when he chose community services over army conscription in Hannover, Germany, during the 1970s. He simultaneously founded his own company, id technik, specializing in installing lighting and sound systems for clubs, as the disco scene was exploding at the time and that’s where all the action and fun was! 

After 15 years of disco craziness, it was time to find a new but related direction! In the early 1990s Ingo joined what was then Martin Germany, and after a stint there, another well known distributor, LightPower GmbH, to focus on boosting their nationwide lighting and technical sales campaigns. 

Ingo’s ambitions of expanding his horizons, expertise and skills beyond Germany led to the opportunity with Robe. A main achievement during these 21 busy years was helping build Robe’s stable and dynamic global distribution network:

“Ever since high school, I had wanted to explore the world, and Robe was a fantastic opportunity to achieve this goal and learn new things every day, embracing and discovering how business and relationships function and flourish in many new and different cultures. There was never a dull moment! I have relished every element of this journey, including Robe’s ‘People-First’ philosophies. 

“Having the freedom and trust invested in me to help develop Robe’s business worldwide is truly appreciated. Robe is a special company. We have been able to think laterally, in our own ways, and create original solutions using imagination, innovation and a smart approach!”

Ingo was “honoured” to be offered the Global Sales Director role in 2022 as a high point on which to end his professional career. Having already announced his retirement plan, this dovetailed perfectly to the timeframe! 

For the rest of 2025, Ingo will be collaborating with Tony Perez who leads Robe’s Maritime division, working as his European counterpart in the specialist cruise ship sector. He also hints that there may be some consultancy projects on the table in the future … so he may ‘pop up’ now and again! 

“Ingo will always be part of our family,” commented Josef, “It will be ‘see you later’ at the end of the year! We thank him for the hard work and great energy, intelligence and insights he has brought to us … and wish him well with everything ahead.”