Distributor Avnet, Inc. announced that Ed Smith will take on a new role as senior vice president of Avnet embedded solutions globally beginning this July, at the start of the company’s new fiscal year.
Smith is currently president of Avnet’s Electronics Marketing Americas business unit, which he will continue to lead until the end of the company’s 2016 fiscal year on July 3. A new EM Americas leader will be announced in the next 60 days, the company said in a statement today.
In his new global embedded leadership role, Smith will continue reporting directly to Gerry Fay, president of Avnet Electronics Marketing worldwide. Smith will be responsible for Avnet’s global embedded strategy and growth plans
“Today, Avnet maintains a leadership position in embedded solutions—and we intend to extend that position,” Fay said in a statement announcing the change. “With the emergence of IoT, cloud computing and big data analytics, the traditional embedded business is being transformed in new and exciting ways. From edge to enterprise, our customers are coming to Avnet for a total solutions approach. Given the size and scale of our global embedded business—and the opportunity to better serve the market—the need for dedicated senior leadership is upon us. With more than 25 years of electronics industry experience, I am confident Ed will successfully guide us as we capitalize on the multiple opportunities being created in this space.”
Smith has overseen Avnet’s global embedded offering for the past year while also leading Avnet EM Americas. According to the company, he has “worked across the Avnet enterprise to develop a cohesive global vision and strategic framework for Avnet’s embedded business. He has identified significant opportunities for Avnet to better serve its existing customers, expand its value offering, and advance embedded technologies. Beginning July 3, 2016, Smith will commit all of his efforts to the success of Avnet’s embedded business.”
