Some companies sell furniture. Others safeguard an icon. As Co CEO of USM Germany and global head of Human Resources for the USM Group, Katharina Janku operates at the intersection of heritage and evolution. Her responsibility is not to reinvent a classic, but to ensure it remains relevant without compromising its identity.

With a background in art history and museum marketing, Janku approaches leadership with cultural awareness and strategic clarity. We spoke with her about precision, restraint, international markets, and why true classics never chase trends.

Alena: Your career began in the cultural sector rather than in corporate management. How did that path lead you to USM?

Katharina: It started when I was sixteen. I did an internship at the Kunsthalle Mannheim, which led me to study art history. I later worked in marketing at the Städel Museum, then for an educational service provider. In 2016, I joined USM as a marketing team lead. Since 2022, I have been Co-CEO of USM Germany, and since 2024 I have also taken responsibility for Human Resources across the entire group. It was not a straight line. But studying art history trained me to think in context. It taught me to look at origins, developments, and long term impact. That perspective is invaluable when working with a design classic.

Alena: What changes when you step into a CEO role within a company known for a single iconic system?

Katharina: You need curiosity and perspective. In this role, you operate as a generalist. You must understand finance, marketing, production, sales, and culture. At the same time, you have to respect heritage. You must know exactly what defines the product and what cannot be altered. I also had to learn to step back. I am naturally very hands on. But leadership at this level means trusting others to execute and accepting that you cannot be involved in every detail.

Alena: Was there an early lesson that shaped your leadership style?

Katharina: Yes. At the Städel Museum, my manager once told me, I will put my head on the line, you make sure it stays there. That sentence combined trust with responsibility in a powerful way. It still guides me today.

Alena: USM is instantly recognisable visually. Yet its origins are less widely known. How would you describe the brand to someone encountering it for the first time?

Katharina: USM is a modular furniture system that allows you to build highly individual configurations for homes, offices, and retail spaces. The strength lies in flexibility within a very clear visual language. The name itself may not always be recognised immediately. But once you show an image, people know it. They have seen it somewhere before.

Alena: The company did not begin as a furniture manufacturer. How did the system emerge?

Katharina: USM stands for Ulrich Scherer Münsingen. The company was founded in 1885 as a metal workshop in Switzerland. For decades, it produced window fittings and other metal components. Metalworking precision remains our core competence. The furniture system was developed in the nineteen sixties when the company expanded its premises with a modular steel building. Traditional wooden cabinets did not fit the architecture. So Paul Scherer and architect Fritz Haller created their own solution. It was not originally conceived as a design revolution. It was a functional response that became something enduring.

Alena: USM was long associated with office environments. What shifted to make it equally present in private homes?

Katharina: The system was always adaptable. The difference was communication. Around the fiftieth anniversary, we consciously broadened the narrative and highlighted personal applications. Social media amplified that shift by showing configurations in residential settings and collaborating with creators who interpreted the system in new contexts. The product itself did not change but its perspective did.

Alena: Has your audience evolved as well?

Katharina: Yes. Healthcare and corporate clients remain important, but we see growing interest from private customers, particularly between thirty five and forty five. We also began experimenting with platforms such as TikTok, which surprised us with strong engagement.

Alena: What resonated there?

Katharina: Education around originality and value. We addressed the topic of the original product directly and explained the long term value behind the investment. That sparked meaningful discussions about price and longevity.

Alena: Does USM mean different things in different markets?

Katharina: Absolutely. In the United States, it is often positioned as a luxury product. In Japan, it is perceived as a design artefact closely aligned with Bauhaus principles and functional clarity. In Germany and Switzerland, it is more integrated into everyday environments. We are present in over forty countries, and each market adds nuance to the brand’s perception.

Alena: How do you introduce innovation without compromising a classic?

Katharina: Innovation does not always need to be visible. Improvements to connectors, hinges, and structural details are just as important as new components. Recently, we introduced a soft panel concept that allows for more flexible and tactile configurations. It expands the system without altering its identity.

Alena: In your opinion Katharina - what makes a design piece timeless?

Katharina: Precision. Clarity. The confidence to remove what is unnecessary. A true classic resists embellishment. It does not chase trends. It remains recognisable across decades while still fitting into new contexts.

Alena: Sustainability often becomes a marketing claim. For USM, it appears to be embedded in the system itself.

Katharina: It is embedded. Steel production is energy intensive, but the system is designed for longevity and reconfiguration. You invest once and adapt it over time. We support that through authorised second hand partners and reconfiguration services. Circularity requires infrastructure, not just communication.

Alena: How does your professional philosophy translate into your private home?

Katharina: I live quite clean and modern. I travel often, so home is important as a grounding space. I grew up rearranging rooms with my grandmother, so I have always enjoyed rethinking spaces. Today I buy more consciously. I consider longevity and adaptability. I own a vintage Vitra Lobby Chair and a Camaleonda sofa. Both offer flexibility. That is something I value deeply.

Alena: So modular living for you is more than a professional preference.

Katharina: It is simply intelligent. When I moved last year, my former wardrobe became part of my kitchen. That adaptability changes how you think about investment and value.

Alena: Katharina, thank you for your time.

Katharina: Thank you. It was a pleasure.