Powermat Technologies, Inc. today announced that its board of directors has named Thorsten Heins as Chief Executive Officer of the company and Chairman of the board. The appointment of Mr. Heins, previously CEO and President of wireless communications pioneer BlackBerry and CTO of Siemens Communications, comes as Powermat dramatically expands its global presence – including the rollout of its wireless charging stations at Starbucks across the United States. With decades of wide-ranging experience in the mobile communications industry, Mr. Heins was selected to lead Powermat into its next phase of growth by a search committee established by company founder and outgoing CEO Ran Poliakine, who will serve as Vice Chairman of the Powermat board.
"Thorsten possesses the rare combination of deep technological and industry expertise with true leadership ability," said Mr. Poliakine. "Powermat is poised at an important juncture in its evolution and Thorsten will lead its expansion to take the wireless charging solutions we created into the mainstream. I look forward to working closely with Thorsten as Powermat advances toward a bright future."
Mr. Heins said he was drawn to Powermat because of its innovation pedigree: the company pioneered easy-to-use wireless power technology for charging devices, solving one of the smartphone industry's biggest problems. Powermat has established relationships with leading companies including Delta Airlines, Duracell, General Motors and Starbucks. In the coming months, the company expects to announce additional new relationships and the continued global rollout of its technology.
"Powermat's technology is on the cusp of mainstream adoption," said Mr. Heins. "It is built directly into devices and cars, and the list of public venues that have adopted Powermat is growing steadily. In the same way that wireless communications untethered people and allowed them to do more on their own terms, wireless power has the potential to free us from the power cords that limit the freedom of mobile technology. It is exciting and energizing to be joining such an entrepreneurial company, where the contribution of every employee is essential to our shared success. Ran's vision and execution created a world-class industry where none existed before. I am honored to lead Powermat into its next exciting phase."
Powermat board member Gaurav Bhandari, Managing Director of Goldman Sachs Asset Management and a member of the search committee that selected Mr. Heins, said the committee was impressed by Mr. Hein's deep operational experience at both Siemens and BlackBerry, where he served as Chief Operating Officer prior to being named CEO in January 2012.
"When Ran notified the board earlier this year that he had decided to hand over the day-to-day management of the company, we knew Powermat needed a leader who could elevate the company to a truly global level," said Mr. Bhandari. "Thorsten has demonstrated in difficult market conditions that he possesses deep technological understanding and the ability to rally employees to achieve their best. Powermat is fortunate to have such an experienced and talented executive taking over from a founder who expanded the company to a point where it is now associated with some of the world's most recognizable brands, from GM to Starbucks. We look forward to Thorsten's leadership and Ran's continued involvement as a Director and Vice Chairman."
