Press Release
KIVA SYSTEMS ANNOUNCES ADDITION OF STEPHEN KAUFMAN
TO ITS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Woburn, MA – October 6, 2009 – Kiva Systems, a developer of breakthrough mobile robotic solutions for warehouse automation, today announced that Stephen Kaufman is joining its board of directors. Kaufman brings decades of success and experience in both leading and directing fast growing high-tech companies. Kaufman takes an independent director seat, joining Ajay Agarwal from Bain Capital Ventures, Dave Becker of Meakem Becker VC, Harry Mankodi, retired Corporate VP of Supply Chain for Motorola, and Mick Mountz, founder, chairman and CEO of Kiva Systems.
Kaufman is the former chairman and CEO of Arrow Electronics, Inc., which he joined in 1982. He was appointed president and COO in 1985, became chairman in 1994 and retired in 2002. Under his leadership, Arrow grew from a $500 million USA-centric corporation to a $12 billion global enterprise ranking within the top 200 companies on the Fortune 500 list. In 2005, Electronics Business magazine named Kaufman as one of the ten most influential executives in the electronics industry over the past 25 years. Prior to joining Arrow, he served in executive capacities with Midland-Ross Corporation and with McKinsey and Company, where he was a partner in its Cleveland office focusing on strategy and operations issues for industrial clients.
“I met with Kiva Systems in 2004 and outlined five challenges they would need to overcome to be successful in the marketplace,” said Kaufman. “Under Mick Mountz’s leadership and focused execution they blew right through those milestones, and are well on their way to building a lasting corporation. This is a perfect time to join the company’s board as Kiva tackles the next set of scaling and growth hurdles.”
Currently, Kaufman is a senior lecturer of business administration at the Harvard Business School where he teaches operations management and building sustainable high-growth organizations. Additionally, he serves on the boards of directors of Harris Corporation, KLA-Tencor and Thermo Fisher Scientific. Kaufman earned his B.S. in economics and engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Kiva’s approach to order fulfillment uses hundreds of mobile robotic drive units that bring inventory on movable shelving pods directly to workers, enabling easy and efficient access to all inventory items at all times. Elimination of operator walking and waiting enables worker productivity that is two- to four-times higher than with other automated systems. What’s more, because all the system components are mobile and modular, a Kiva-equipped distribution center has unprecedented flexibility when adding new products or expanding throughput—without disrupting ongoing operations.
“Steve is a natural addition to the Kiva team, and I am energized by the chance to work with someone who has taken a high-tech startup well beyond the $1B mark,” said Mountz. “The accelerating demand for Kiva solutions is reflected in our ranking as sixth on this year’s Inc. 500 list of fastest growing private companies in America.”
About Kiva Systems
Kiva Systems, Inc. uses game-changing automation technology for distribution centers that helps companies simplify operations and reduce costs, while increasing strategic flexibility. Using hundreds of autonomous mobile robots and sophisticated control software, the Kiva Mobile Fulfillment System enables extremely fast cycle times with reduced labor requirements, from receiving to picking to shipping. The result is a building that is quick and low-cost to set up, inexpensive to operate, and easy to change. For more information on Kiva Systems and its solutions, please visit www.kivasystems.com
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