The Z-Wave Alliance has announced long-time Universal Remote Control executive and CEDIA board member Mitchell Klein as its new Executive Director. Mitchell joins the Alliance after more than eight years as a senior team member at URC, helping to transform the company from a remote control manufacturer to a smart home integration system supplier for the consumer electronics pro space.
Following a search throughout the consumer electronics and smart home industries, the Z-Wave Alliance Board of Directors selected a results-driven, hands-on industry leader to fill the newly created executive director post. With a large portion of the Z-Wave market focused on the security, telco and integrator markets as well as DIY, Klein’s background and thought leadership in these areas will continue to grow Z-Wave’s position as the go-to technology across industries.
“Mitch brings with him a significant amount of experience building programs, partnerships and growing categories within new markets,” said Raoul Wijgergangs, VP for Z-Wave business unit for Sigma Designs and Alliance Board member. “As Z-Wave experiences massive growth and expansion into the smart home and still developing IoT markets, we will look to Mitch to work with the board and build a strategic plan that will take the ecosystem to the next level.”
“I’m joining the Z-Wave Alliance at an exciting time for the organisation and its member companies, with unprecedented growth predicted in the connected home and security markets,” said Klein. “My job is to chart a course for the future, forging important partnerships and creating programs that allow Z-Wave to lead not just in products but in important initiatives around educating the consumer and ensuring smart homes are secure.”
“I feel confident that with Mitch’s leadership and our growth trajectory, Z-Wave will be a unifying ingredient in the leading smart home solutions for years to come,” added Wijgergangs. “The Z-Wave ecosystem is today one of the most dominant in the smart home world and will continue to be as the concept of IoT takes over the home.”
