Carl Otto Løvenskiold to receive Global DIY-Lifetime Award

This year’s Global DIY-Lifetime Award goes to Carl Otto Løvenskiold, owner and CEO of Løvenskiold-Vækerø and former board member of the international DIY trade association Edra/Ghin. He will receive the award at the upcoming Global DIY-Summit in Amsterdam (Netherlands).

His company, Løvenskiold-Vækerø, was founded in 1649. Carl Otto Løvenskiold, born in 1953, is the 13th-generation owner. One of its subsidiaries is the DIY chain Maxbo, which has 65 branches across Norway. It operates in both the consumer and professional sectors.

The Norwegian Løvenskiold-Vækerø Group operates in the sectors of retail, property, forestry and agriculture. This also includes iron processing, the timber industry and building materials.

Carl Otto Løvenskiold studied business administration at the University of California, Berkeley, and at Seattle University, and completed an MBA at Insead in France. He joined Løvenskiold-Vækerø AS in 1982 as Marketing Manager before taking on the roles of Director and Senior Vice President. He has been the owner and CEO since 1994. He has also been actively involved in the Edra/Ghin association and served on the board from 2005 to 2025 – as its longest-serving member.

The new President of Edra/Ghin, Erwin Van Osta, owner and CEO of the Belgian chain Hubo, says of the 2026 award winner: “Carl Otto Løvenskiold has been a true ambassador for the global home improvement industry. His dedication to Edra/Ghin and his visionary leadership have helped shape and strengthen our sector for many years.”

Caroline Van der Voort, co-owner of Calodar and President of the European manufacturers’ association Hima, emphasises: “Carl Otto Løvenskiold truly embodies the long-term vision and strong values that define successful family-owned businesses. His dedication to responsible entrepreneurship, continuity across generations and sustainable growth is an inspiration for our entire sector. At the same time, his open mindset and commitment to collaboration highlight how essential cooperation is in strengthening our industry and creating shared progress for the future.”

The award ceremony will take place during the gala evening at the Global DIY Summit on 17 June 2026. The Summit will be held from 16 to 18 June.

The laudatory speech will be delivered by Edra/Ghin Managing Director John W. Herbert. For him, Løvenskiold has been “one of the key advocates of Edra/Ghin since our very early days in 2005. At that stage our network was only made up of 10 members, mostly associations. Carl Otto has played an essential role in growing Edra/Ghin into the global association we are today.”

The decision to present Carl Otto Løvenskiold with the annual Global DIY Lifetime Award was taken and confirmed by the boards of the European DIY Retail Association (Edra), the Home Improvement Manufacturers Association (Hima) and the Global Home Improvement Network (Ghin).