WATERTOWN, Mass., May 13, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- WiTricity Corporation today announced that
Joe Benz has been appointed as the
company's next chief executive officer and a member of the
WiTricity Board of Directors. Benz will assume the CEO role and
join the Board immediately, succeeding Alex Gruzen, who has
been the WiTricity CEO since 2014.
Benz brings over 30 years of operational and leadership
experience in both the military and private sectors. Known for his
considerable operational expertise, he has a proven track record of
delivering results by building teams and implementing processes
designed to maximize talent, leverage intellectual property, and
develop winning solutions. Most recently, he served as General
Counsel and Chief Legal Officer for WiTricity, where he
oversaw the continued development of WiTricity's industry-leading
global patent portfolio and guided the company through the myriad
of operating agreements necessary to transition WiTricity to a
product company.
"Joe Benz is a phenomenal leader
with an impressive and proven track record of operational results
and broad experience in the transportation industry," said
WiTricity Board Member and major investor Kenneth Horowitz. "We are incredibly fortunate
to promote from within, allowing us to leverage his deep
familiarity with WiTricity and make a seamless transition. It has
been my absolute pleasure to work with Joe over the past two years,
and we are excited to see how his leadership will propel the
company forward into this next phase."
Outgoing CEO Gruzen navigated the company through the complex
transition from a licensing and technology transfer company to a
product company. The WiTricity Halo® Wireless Charging
Platform is the industry's most advanced and sophisticated wireless
charging system. The 5th generation of the product,
available for delivery later this year, will be fully V2G capable,
an advancement that will fundamentally transform the charging
paradigm. Under Gruzen, WiTricity also announced the launch of
a wireless charging system for Neighborhood Electric Vehicles
(NEVs) and golf carts. He will continue to serve as a consultant to
the company.
"The WiTricity Board and investors are greatly appreciative of
outgoing CEO Alex Gruzen for his 10
years of service at WiTricity, during which the SAE J2954 standard
was ratified, significant industry partnerships were forged, a
strong team was built, and significant product advancements were
made," continued Horowitz.
Prior to his time at WiTricity, Benz served as Chief
Intellectual Property Counsel and Senior Director at Boeing, where
he led a significant organizational redesign and business
transformation. Benz also served as Chief IP Counsel for the
Ford Motor Company and President & COO of Ford Global
Technologies, LLC, a major Ford subsidiary responsible for a global
business dealing with joint ventures, Tier 1 suppliers, and
strategic partnerships with other OEMs.
Benz's military service consists of active duty and Reserve
service, including multiple combat tours in a career spanning more
than 28 years. During his last tour in Afghanistan, he held a significant leadership
position responsible for directing and overseeing operations
throughout the theater, involving strategic partnerships with over
25 coalition partners and direct interaction with the Afghan
government. From 2022-2024, Benz commanded a Reserve unit
responsible for design, resourcing, and execution of a major
exercise directed at homeland response in the event of a nuclear
disaster. His unit was named the 2022 Reserve Large Unit of the
Year and the 2023 Top Readiness Unit for the Reserve
Component.
"This is a very important time for WiTricity, requiring focused
leadership in all segments of our business," said investor and
Board Member David Baum. Joe Benz is
the right leader at the right time in WiTricity's evolution. He has
led under the most challenging circumstances and always delivered
superior results. We are truly fortunate to have him at the
company's helm."
Benz continues to serve as a Colonel in the United States Army Reserve. He holds a
Bachelor of Science from the United States
Military Academy at West Point, a Master of Business
Administration from the Goizueta Business School at
Emory University, a JD from
Emory Law School, and a Master of
Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College. He is
licensed to practice law in Georgia and North
Carolina and registered to practice at the United States
Patent and Trademark Office.
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SOURCE WiTricity