SnapAV Makes Product Development Hires and Appointments; Kindel Departs

SnapAV is reorganizing its product development into five “centers of excellence” located in Draper, UT, Charlotte, NC, Portland, OR, Westlake Village, CA, and Serbia. At the same time, the company has announced the promotion and appointments of several key personnel to further strengthen product development, as well the notable departure of Charlie Kindel, the former Microsoft and Amazon executive who served in a product development role at Control4 before the brand was purchased by SnapAV in June 2019

“The continued investment in our organization reinforces our commitment to our Partners, end-customers, and to the industry we serve,” SnapAV CEO John Heyman said. “Our goal is to deliver the best products and services that make our customer’s lives easier and more enjoyable. And, with a strong product team across five ‘centers of excellence’ in Utah, North Carolina, Oregon, California, and Serbia, we will continue to make fast market-focused decisions that create the next generation of exceptional experiences.”

Supporting product development across every category, SnapAV has promoted G Paul Hess to chief product officer. Hess has been responsible for introducing many of the company’s brands, such as Binary, Luma, Araknis, and OvrC, and strengthening and expanding brands like Episode and WattBox, among many others.

“I am thrilled to step into this role and continue building exceptional products for this industry,” Hess commented.

SnapAV also has rehired David Moore, who returns to SnapAV to lead engineering and technology, and has promoted Mike Jordan and Jason Winchester to lead category and product management across the organization.

“David, Mike, and Jason have long track records of delivering outstanding products to our pro Partners,” Hess said, “and their product and industry expertise is going to drive our product development decisions for years to come.”

In what the company calls “a concerted effort to increase the voice of Snap’s Partners across its business,” SnapAV also has hired Parasol co-founders Greg Simmons as vice president, industry partnerships.

“Greg has a long history in the CEDIA and home security industries, having led one of the largest integrators, Eagle Sentry, for many years prior to its sale in 2018. We are thrilled to have Greg on our team,” Heyman emphasized.

SnapAV also has announced that Charlie Kindel, who had served as chief product and technology officer, is leaving the company to pursue other opportunities.

“I want to thank Charlie for all that he has contributed to our current market success,” Heyman said. “Under his leadership, we introduced OS3, Chime, and Neeo. He recruited key talent to the company, improved processes across the business and set the stage for a continued bright product future. As a shareholder and avid customer of our products, we know we will continue to receive Charlie’s wisdom for years to come!”

Re-emphasizing his message to the industry during Snap Pro Live, Heyman stresses that SnapAV is focused on both of its platforms: product and business.

“Between our increased investment and strong product development team across our offices in Utah, North Carolina, Oregon, California, and Serbia, we are in the best position possible to continue driving innovation for the industry and our Partners. Simply put, it’s our passion,” he concluded.