The Z-Wave Alliance, an organization with more than 325 members in smart home and IoT industries, named CEDIA board member Mitchell Klein as its new executive director.
Klein joins the Alliance after more than eight years as a senior team member at his previous company, helping to transform it from a remote control manufacturer to a smart home integration system supplier for the consumer electronics pro space, and wirth more than 30 years’ industry experience.
Klein said he has a background that uniquely positions him to fulfil his role. “I have been in the shoes of the stakeholders in the Alliance, I’ve been a consultant and I’ve been a leader and a founder of volunteer associations. I’ve spent time with the manufacturers, and I know their perspective and what drives them.” He sees this as his next great opportunity.
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, according to a press release from Z-Wave Alliance.
“Mitch brings with him a significant amount of experience building programs, partnerships and growing categories within new markets,” said Raoul Wijgergangs, vice president 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.”
As CEO and founder of one of the top grossing and influential home tech integration companies, Klein has played a pivotal role in growing the custom electronics installer channel and has been involved in smart home long before it was a household concept. Klein has served in several roles in the CEDIA network, most notably as its president from 1997 to 1999, and is currently chairman of the professional development committee. Klein has been recognized with 22 industry awards.
“I’m joining the Z-Wave Alliance at an exciting time for the organization 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.” Klein said the Z-Wave products now have the same encryption level as online banking, but his goal is to improve that.
Wijgergangs said, “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. 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.”
Klein said, “I’m not here to fix the anything; nothing needs fixing. I’m here to grab on and shift the things into a higher gear. I am going to be working with the board of directors to execute our plan and to make sure Z-Wave continues to be the go-to platform for the connected spaces.”
