With more than 20 years of business experience, Chris Romei joins Confidex as a new Sales Director!
New Sales Director Chris Romei and Paul Broekhuizen, Executive Vice President Smart Industries, Elaborate on Product Developments, Strategies and Potentials for the Automotive Industry!
In an interview with RFID & Wireless IoT Global, Chirs Romei elaborates on his personal background and vision for the automotive industry. Paul Broekhuizen also provides insights in sustainability strategies and development work at Confidex and hints at the upcoming product release of a new BLE tags in the summer of 2021.
Chris Romei, Sales Director, and Paul Broekhuizen, Executive Vice President Smart Industries, Confidex, in an interview with Anja Van Bocxlaer, Editor-in-Chief, RFID & Wireless IoT Global.
16 Oct 2023 - ECO Hook M
Mr. Romei, you joined Confidex last month. How does your previous business experience support your new position as Sales Director at Confidex?
Chris Romei: I have been in the international business sector for more than 20 years, during which time I have gained a wide range of expertise, especially in the IT industry. I worked in the communication business for 15 years, so I am particularly familiar with the communication market. Before joining Confidex, I worked at a display manufacturer which was the beginning of my involvement in the automotive industry in the European market.
For the last few years, I have done business with all major car manufacturers and large tier-one partners across Europe. To sum it all up, in combination, I provide experience in both the automotive and the IT industry. The reason for my decision to join Confidex: I see great potential in the growing industrial IoT business sector.
How would you characterize the transition process and how have you been adapting so far?
16 Oct 2023 - Pacer
Chris Romei: I have been welcomed, coached and supported very well by the entire Confidex team. As a Sales Director I must be aware of how and why we position individual products and solutions. Our product line management department is also supporting me in regards to any technical details. With my business background in the IT world, I can adapt and learn very quickly in order to properly position our value proposition and what it can provide to our automotive customers and business partners
How would you assess the IoT potential for the automotive industry?
Chris Romei: The automotive industry is rapidly adopting the IoT potential with new use cases. I see an enormous potential in Auto-ID opportunities and developments for the next years. For instance, when taking a closer look at the production lines and logistics new RFID solutions are implemented as we speak. I am certain that the market will grow in the near future. We also see a big change in the automotive market currently with the drive of Electromobility, the increasing need for batteries, sustainability measures, connected and autonomous vehicles – are all becoming increasingly important.
Paul Broekhuizen: The automotive industry starts to really focus on Auto ID technologies In order to truly understand all applications, one must be aware of all processes from the raw material until the finished product. In between, there are roughly 10 production steps – and each one could possibly involve RFID technology. For us to advise customers and partners properly, offering them the right products, we need to understand these steps. Therefore, we work with multiple solutions partners. This week we released the next generation of Silverline Labels. For these on-metal labels we work with Zebra Technologies.
What is Confidex’s mission regarding sustainability? How do you view your responsibilities?
Paul Broekhuizen: As an active participant of the United Nations Global Compact, Confidex Sense of Tomorrow’s Sustainability Program foster corporate responsibility. Global need for reduction in CO2 emissions - along with business demand for improved efficiency and industrial productivity - are driving the digital transformation of manufacturing, supply chains and transportation.
When it comes to tag sustainability, Confidex is actively collaborating with solution providers to allow the repurposing of RFID tags by reprogramming them for future use. We are advancing alternatives to replace less sustainable materials in our IoT products. For example, the previous product version of the Ironside Slim were we replaced the brass limiters with eco-friendly materials.
How has the Covid-19 pandemic influenced your development work and focus?
Paul Broekhuizen: During the Covid-19 pandemic Confidex launched 17 new industrial RFID products and invested in IoT hardware and software development, especially for sensor technologies, RTLS and state of the art BLE products to be released later this year. Our focus: investing in next generation IoT product solutions. This development took place during the Covid-19 pandemic.
We have used this time to strengthen our internal processes and have updated our quality systems that are required for IT security. Overall, we are looking to the future with confidence and are excited to see what is still ahead of us.
