“I thank Rudy for his considerable contributions to Philips and I regret to see him go,” says Philips president and chief executive Frans van Houten.

“In his three years as chief executive officer of Lighting, Philips has strengthened its leadership position in lighting and I wish him all the best in his new role.’’

“After more than a decade with Philips, I am ready to take on a new challenge” Rudy says.

“As the global lighting industry is going through a major transformation towards energy-efficient LED lighting and an increased focus on complete lighting solutions, I am confident that Philips Lighting is well positioned and will remain a driving force in the lighting industry.’’

Mr. Provoost, born in 1959 in Belgium, joined Philips in October 2000 as executive vice-president of Consumer Electronics Europe and in 2004 he became chief executive officer of the Consumer Electronics division, which has since been merged with Domestic Appliances and Personal Care into the Consumer Lifestyle sector. In April 2006, Mr. Provoost was appointed a member of the board of management and two years later he took the position of chief executive officer of the Lighting sector.

Philips will announce a successor to Mr. Provoost in due course.