I NEVER PLANNED TO BUILD A CAREER IN LIGHTING
Sometimes the best careers aren't carefully planned—they're the result of curiosity, relationships, and saying yes to opportunities you never expected.
People often ask me how I got into the lighting industry. The truth is, I never set out to build a career in lighting. Like many entrepreneurial journeys, mine wasn't the result of a master plan. It was a series of unexpected opportunities, meaningful relationships, and decisions that ultimately changed the course of my life.
Early in my career, I was working for a company that relocated me from Northern Ireland to New York City. The move itself was transformational. New York exposed me to a different pace of business, larger opportunities, and a network of people who were building incredible companies. It also introduced me to an industry I had never imagined becoming a part of.
At the time, I became interested in joining a lighting distributorship that had been operating for nearly a century. While the company had an incredible legacy and reputation, I saw something else: untapped potential. I believed the business had an opportunity to modernize its image, strengthen its brand, and position itself differently in a rapidly changing marketplace. That challenge excited me far more than lighting itself. I wasn't chasing an industry—I was chasing the opportunity to help transform a business.
During my time there, I developed a close relationship with the company's owner and CEO. What started as a professional relationship evolved into a genuine friendship. We spent countless hours talking about business, entrepreneurship, leadership, and where the industry was heading. Those conversations often continued long after the workday ended, usually over a drink. Somewhere along the way, we stopped being colleagues and became friends.
As LED technology began reshaping the lighting industry, he made a bold decision to launch a new LED lighting manufacturing company. He asked me to join him as a partner. It was an opportunity to build something from the ground up, and I didn't hesitate.
Looking back, that decision became one of the defining moments of my career.
Building a startup taught me lessons that no corporate role ever could. We weren't just selling products—we were creating solutions, building a brand, earning customers' trust, and navigating the uncertainty that comes with entrepreneurship. Every challenge forced us to become better operators, better leaders, and better problem solvers.
Our hard work eventually paid off. The company experienced a successful exit and ultimately became part of a publicly traded organization. It was a milestone that validated years of risk, perseverance, and belief.
But perhaps the greatest thing that came from that experience wasn't the exit itself.
It was the people.
During that chapter of my career, I met the person who would later become my business partner. We shared many of the same values, ambitions, and vision for what a modern lighting company could become. We believed there was an opportunity to build something different—something more global, more agile, and more focused on solving complex challenges for clients.
Together, we made the decision to start our own company.
That company became Ideoli Group.
Today, Ideoli delivers lighting solutions for projects across more than 30 countries, partnering with some of the world's most recognized brands across hospitality, commercial real estate, retail, fitness, multifamily residential, and mixed-use developments. Looking back, it's remarkable to think that none of it was part of the original plan.
People sometimes believe successful careers are the result of having everything mapped out from the beginning. My experience has been the opposite. The biggest opportunities in my life came from remaining curious, building authentic relationships, and being willing to embrace change when unexpected doors opened.
When I accepted a relocation to New York, I wasn't thinking about lighting. When I joined a century-old distributorship, I wasn't thinking about manufacturing. When I became friends with its owner, I wasn't thinking about becoming a startup founder. And when we eventually built and exited that company, I wasn't imagining that it would lead to founding Ideoli.
Every chapter simply prepared me for the next one.
One of the biggest lessons I've learned is that your career doesn't have to follow a straight line. Sometimes your greatest opportunities come from industries you never expected to enter and people you never expected to meet. If you're willing to stay curious, invest in relationships, and say yes to meaningful opportunities, your path may end up being far more rewarding than the one you originally planned.
Looking back, I didn't choose lighting because I dreamed about luminaires, fixtures, or LEDs. I chose it because I believed in building businesses, solving problems, and working alongside great people. The industry became the platform—but entrepreneurship, relationships, and creating value became the mission.
And that's what has kept me here ever since.
“I didn’t choose the lighting industry. I chose great people, bold opportunities, and the courage to bet on them. The industry simply became the vehicle.”
George Stroumboulis, CEO and Co-Founder of Ideoli Group, delivered his Building Beyond Borders keynote at the 26th Annual International Conference of the Global Business and Technology Association (GBATA), held at the Titania Hotel in Athens, Greece, from July 14–17, 2026.
George Stroumboulis sits down with Matt Gates, business development executive and sales leader. Filmed in Newport Beach, California, they discuss the principles of high-performance sales, building lasting client relationships, and the mindset required to achieve long-term success in business.