Flooring patents and technologies specialist I4F has announced that Mattie de Koning is joining its management team as the company’s Chief IP Officer, a new strategic function in the organisation. This new role will focus on the expansion and further evolution of I4F’s Patent Cluster Concept (PCC) as well as facilitate the introduction of new, innovative technologies into the market. He will be based out of the company’s global headquarters in Hamont, Belgium.
Specialised in national and cross-border patent litigation, Mattie joins I4F from the global law firm, Simmons & Simmons LLP, where he was an IP partner specialising in cross-border patent litigation and IP transactions. Mattie has also worked with I4F since 2014, representing and assisting the company in various patent proceedings before the courts and the European Patent Office.
John Rietveldt, I4F’s CEO, said: “Mattie is a true heavy weight in IP litigation and no stranger to the global flooring industry. He has represented and supported I4F in all its major IP legal cases in Europe and the US. In addition to his incredible depth of IP knowledge and experience, he knows us and our business through and through, enabling him to hit the ground running as our Chief IP Officer. Sitting on our management team, we are delighted to have Mattie step into this new strategic role, designed to evolve our IP portfolio and support our licensees, as he will make it meaningful and impactful from day one.”
