Wi-Fi Alliance today announced the appointment of Kevin Robinson as the organization's new president and chief executive officer. Robinson will assume the role on October 20, 2022, upon the retirement of Edgar Figueroa.
Figueroa has served as president and CEO of Wi-Fi Alliance since 2007 and announced his plans to retire earlier this year.
Robinson is a 15-year veteran of Wi-Fi Alliance and, per a statement by the organization, "stands uniquely poised to lead the organization’s 900+ member companies in its next chapter of global impact."
According to a Wi-Fi Alliance press release:
Serving as Wi-Fi Alliance’s VP of Marketing for the last 7 years, Robinson has led many of the organization’s most transformative initiatives and has been a leading ambassador for promoting Wi‑Fi and Wi‑Fi Alliance as a collaboration forum worldwide.
Prior to joining Wi-Fi Alliance, Robinson served as a Captain in the Infantry of the United States Army. Robinson steps into the CEO role with a passion for leading the next Wi-Fi renaissance — relentlessly making the case for essential spectrum for Wi-Fi, listening to the needs of a vibrant and diverse Wi-Fi industry, and ushering in the next wave of market innovation that only Wi-Fi can deliver.
As Wi-Fi Alliance drives adoption and evolution of Wi-Fi, Robinson plans to lead from a place of industry outreach and unification.
He plans to focus on three particular areas: 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.
With 900+ member companies, Wi-Fi Alliance notes that, as an organization, it is on the forefront of driving Wi-Fi technology adoption. Robinson said he is "committed to maintaining the vibrancy of the organization, and to actively recruiting the next generation of leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators to participate in Wi-Fi Alliance."
Robinson said he will help Wi-Fi Alliance expand global awareness of its Wi-Fi CERTIFIED program and evolve as a premier collaboration forum, leading a new era of spectrum policy and amplifying the economics made possible by wireless connectivity, concluded the organization's statement.
Visit www.wi-fi.org for more information.
COMMENTARY
“It is a privilege to lead this team into its next era of market impact and advocacy. My top priority is to ensure Wi-Fi remains the premier connectivity technology and greatest digital equalizer for people around the globe by harnessing and amplifying the unmatched innovation engine that is the Wi‑Fi industry. In the coming years, Wi-Fi Alliance will continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible through connectivity, and we look forward to nurturing a growing community of product and service innovators looking to address the most pressing opportunities together.” -- Kevin Robinson, incoming president and CEO, Wi-Fi Alliance
“On behalf of the board, I want to thank Edgar for his 15 years of leadership and tireless commitment to the organization that has established Wi-Fi as a ubiquitous and fundamental driver of the global economy. As we move into this next generation of growth and collaboration with member companies, Kevin understands the legacy he inherits and the importance of a dynamic Wi-Fi Alliance to the continuing success of our industry. Kevin stands as a visionary leader who will invigorate this preeminent industry body as it takes on new global challenges and seizes opportunities that lay ahead.” -- Carlos Cordeiro, chairman of the Wi-Fi Alliance board of directors