By Claus Hetting, Wi-Fi NOW CEO & Chairman
It’s official! Last week Wi-Fi Alliance appointed Kevin Robinson as its new President and CEO. Kevin Robinson is a 15-year veteran of Wi-Fi Alliance, a graduate of the United States Military Academy West Point, an MBA graduate from the University of Texas at Austin, and a veteran of the Iraq war. Kevin Robinson’s priorities for Wi-Fi Alliance include an expanded and more business-focused role for the 23-year-old organisation.
Fifteen-year veteran of Wi-Fi Alliance (including seven years as VP and SVP Marketing) Kevin Robinson is as of October 20 the new Wi-Fi Alliance CEO & President. As the world of Wi-Fi continues to expand in multiple directions – as well as grow at an unprecedented rate – Kevin Robinson and his team at Wi-Fi Alliance will have their work cut out for them. But it’s all good.
Because there has probably never been a more exciting time to head up a Wi-Fi industry organisation. And Kevin Robinson’s new priorities arguably reflect the enormous changes the Wi-Fi industry has gone through during its history. “We want to be the collaboration forum of choice for our members and for the industry as well as the natural home of the next generation of Wi-Fi innovators,” Kevin Robinson says.
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He also says he wants Wi-Fi Alliance to be more vibrant and more in touch with its members’ product and service teams. “We want Wi-Fi Alliance to be the place where our members come to discuss and address market challenges and opportunities, eliminating impediments to Wi-Fi market success that frustrate their product and service teams. This is one of several new goals,” he says, reflecting on a more business-oriented approach to Wi-Fi Alliance’s leadership.
Kevin Robinson says his three immediate focus areas are: “Securing sufficient, harmonized global Wi‑Fi spectrum, deepening engagement and cohesion across the broader Wi-Fi ecosystem, and evolving the Wi-Fi Alliance organization to ensure it is as nimble as the industry it serves.”
In his personal life Kevin is married to Bree Anne and father of daughters Ella, 12 years, and Harper, 10 years. Kevin is originally from San Diego – in fact, he’s a rare fourth generation Californian – but has made Austin, Texas his home since 2000. Kevin served in Baghdad in 2004 and he’s the only person we know who has been shot at with a 107 millimeter explosive rocket shell. It was thankfully a dud.
Kevin Robinson was the first hire of former Wi-Fi Alliance President & CEO Edgar Figueroa and his 15-year anniversary working for Wi-Fi Alliance will be in January of next year. We look forward to celebrating his 20th, too – and many more. A huge warm welcome to Kevin Robinson from all of us at Wi-Fi NOW.
“We want to congratulate Kevin Robinson with his appointment and the Wi-Fi Alliance with an outstanding new President & CEO. In our view the Wi-Fi Alliance could not have picked a more experienced, visionary, and fiercely dedicated individual for this job. We also want to thank Edgar Figueroa for his enormous and invaluable contribution to Wi-Fi over the years. He will be missed.” – Claus Hetting.
/Claus.
