Gary Shapiro

President and CEO
Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)

Gary Shapiro is president and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the U.S. trade association representing more than 2,000 consumer electronics companies and owning and producing the continent's largest annual tradeshow, the International CES.

Shapiro led the industry in its successful transition to HDTV. He co-founded and chaired the HDTV Model Station and served as a leader of the Advanced Television Test Center (ATTC). He is a charter inductee to the Academy of Digital Television Pioneers, and received its highest award as the industry leader most influential in advancing HDTV. He focused on the need for and led the effort to obtain the 2009 cut-off date of analog broadcasting.

As chairman of the Home Recording Rights Coalition (HRRC), Shapiro led the manufacturers' battle to preserve the legality of recording technology and consumer fair use rights. Shapiro has held many exhibition industry leadership posts, and received the exhibition industry's highest honor, the Pinnacle Award. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Northern Virginia Technology Council, the State Department's Advisory Committee on International Communications and Information Policy, and the Board of Directors of the Washington Economic Club. He has served as a member of the Commonwealth of Virginia's Commission on Information Technology and on the Board of Visitors of George Mason University. Shapiro also has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a 'mastermind' for his initiative in helping to create the Industry Cooperative for Ozone Layer Protection (ICOLP).

Shapiro leads a staff of 140 employees and thousands of industry volunteers and has testified before Congress on technology and business issues more than 20 times. He has received annual recognition from The Hill since 2006 as a "top lobbyist" in Washington. Also, Washington Life magazine has named him one of the 100 most influential people in Washington, D.C. CEA has won many awards as a family friendly employer and one of the best places in Virginia to work.

Shapiro authored the 2011 bestselling book The Comeback: How Innovation Will Restore the American Dream (Beaufort).

Prior to joining the association, Shapiro was an associate at the law firm of Squire Sanders. He also has worked on Capitol Hill, as an assistant to a member of Congress. He received his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center and is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate with a double major in economics and psychology from Binghamton University. He is married to Dr. Susan Malinowski, a retina surgeon.

Gary Shapiro

President and CEO
Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)

Gary Shapiro is president and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the U.S. trade association representing more than 2,000 consumer electronics companies and owning and producing the continent's largest annual tradeshow, the International CES.

Shapiro led the industry in its successful transition to HDTV. He co-founded and chaired the HDTV Model Station and served as a leader of the Advanced Television Test Center (ATTC). He is a charter inductee to the Academy of Digital Television Pioneers, and received its highest award as the industry leader most influential in advancing HDTV. He focused on the need for and led the effort to obtain the 2009 cut-off date of analog broadcasting.

As chairman of the Home Recording Rights Coalition (HRRC), Shapiro led the manufacturers' battle to preserve the legality of recording technology and consumer fair use rights. Shapiro has held many exhibition industry leadership posts, and received the exhibition industry's highest honor, the Pinnacle Award. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Northern Virginia Technology Council, the State Department's Advisory Committee on International Communications and Information Policy, and the Board of Directors of the Washington Economic Club. He has served as a member of the Commonwealth of Virginia's Commission on Information Technology and on the Board of Visitors of George Mason University. Shapiro also has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a 'mastermind' for his initiative in helping to create the Industry Cooperative for Ozone Layer Protection (ICOLP).

Shapiro leads a staff of 140 employees and thousands of industry volunteers and has testified before Congress on technology and business issues more than 20 times. He has received annual recognition from The Hill since 2006 as a "top lobbyist" in Washington. Also, Washington Life magazine has named him one of the 100 most influential people in Washington, D.C. CEA has won many awards as a family friendly employer and one of the best places in Virginia to work.

Shapiro authored the 2011 bestselling book The Comeback: How Innovation Will Restore the American Dream (Beaufort).

Prior to joining the association, Shapiro was an associate at the law firm of Squire Sanders. He also has worked on Capitol Hill, as an assistant to a member of Congress. He received his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center and is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate with a double major in economics and psychology from Binghamton University. He is married to Dr. Susan Malinowski, a retina surgeon.

Patrick Lavelle

President and CEO
VOXX International

Pat Lavelle is president and CEO of VOXX International Corp. He joined the company when it was Audiovox in 1977, was appointed to its board in 1993 and became CEO and president of Audiovox Corp. in 2005. In 2011, the company changed its name to VOXX International.

Lavelle began as an audio salesman and held numerous sales management positions before being appointed vice president of mobile accessory products in 1980. Under Lavelle’s direction, the company began to diversify into the mobile electronics category and quickly became a dominant manufacturer of automotive entertainment and security systems. In 1992, Audiovox’s Mobile Division was consolidated into Audiovox Electronics Corp. and Lavelle was named its president. Since then, "electronics" has continued to expand, adding consumer products, and today the company markets a broad line of home and portable audio, video and multimedia products. 

In 2005, the company decided to expand into the consumer electronics (CE) accessory space. With the acquisitions of the RCA Accessories and A/V Group from Thomson S.A., Terk Technology Inc, Oehlbach GMBH, Technuity Inc., and Schwaiger GMBH.  VOXX has become a major supplier of CE accessories to the top retailers, and distributors across North America and Europe.

Under Lavelle, the company has acquired a variety of well known audio brands that include Jensen, RCA, Advent, Acoustic Research, Phase Linear, Mac Audio, Magnat and Heco. Perhaps the most significant acquisition to date has been the addition of Klipsch, Jamo, Energy and Mirage to the company’s portfolio. Completed in early 2011, the Klipsch acquisition along with the company’s existing business has given Voxx #1 marketshare in the premium loudspeaker category at retail.

Additionally, the company has rapidly expanded its automotive OEM business and today supplies entertainment and/or remote security products to Ford, GM, Chrysler, Toyota, Nissan, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Porsche, BMW and Bentley. 

Most recently, Voxx has announced the acquisition of Hirschmann Car Communication GMBH. This acquisition will position the company as the leading worldwide supplier of automotive digital TV tuner systems.

A veteran of the consumer electronics industry, Lavelle has been the chairman of the Mobile Electronics Division and chairman of the Consumer Electronics Association’s (CEA)® Executive Board. Currently, Lavelle sits on the CEA Executive Board as a member at large.L

Lavelle is a member of the board of trustees for Marist College, NY. He and his wife, Patty, have three children, Michael, Meghan and Katie. In his spare time, Lavelle enjoys boating, skiing and golfing.

Phil Molyneux

President and CEO
Sony Electronics, Inc.

In September 2010, Phil Molyneux was appointed president and COO of Sony Electronics Inc.  In June 2011, the Sony Corp. Board of Directors elected Molyneux as a Sony group executive. Molyneux oversees the electronics business of Sony in the United States.

Molyneux was awarded an apprenticeship in electromechanical engineering with the U.K. Ministry of Defense, completing his studies in 1982. He then studied computer technology at the College of Central London.

Joe Taylor

Chairman and CEO
Panasonic Corporation

Joseph M. Taylor serves as chairman and CEO of Panasonic Corp. of North America, the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corp. (NYSE: PC), and the hub of Panasonic’s U.S. branding, marketing, sales, service and R&D operations. The company develops, manufactures and distributes an extensive range of digital and other electronics products for consumer, workplace and industrial purposes primarily for the U.S. and Canada. 

Ben Kaufman

CEO and Founder
Quirky

Ben is the 23-year-old Founder & CEO of Quirky. Ben’s entrepreneurial journey started during his senior year in high school with a second mortgage on his parent’s house and the founding of an ipod accessory company called mophie. Shortly after  mophie won “Best in Show” at MacWorld 2006, Ben discovered his passion for involving people around the world in the development of new consumer products.

The rapid growth of the mophie brand led to its acquisition in August of 2007, which allowed Ben to begin focusing his efforts on bringing 'social product development' to the next level.   After two years of research and development on a unique technology platform which became the foundation of his future work, Quirky launched publicly in June of 2009.  

A passionate and opinionated speaker, Ben talks Quirky, Products, and Design to audiences around the world.  Over the past 5 years, Ben's work has landed him coverage in hundreds of Newspapers (New York Times, USA Today, Daily News, New York Observer), Magazines (Business Week, Entrepreneur, New York Times Magazine, WIRED), and TV networks (CNBC, FOX Business News, The Today Show).  In 2007, Inc Magazine named Ben the number one entrepreneur in the country under the age of 30 (...he was 20 at the time). 

Other than being a part of the development of new & awesome products, some of Ben’s favorite things include his niece Lily, Jay-Z, cool kicks, and black t-shirts.
 

Mitch Joel

President
Twist Image

Gary Shapiro

President and CEO
Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)

Gary Shapiro is president and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the U.S. trade association representing more than 2,000 consumer electronics companies and owning and producing the continent's largest annual tradeshow, the International CES.

Shapiro led the industry in its successful transition to HDTV. He co-founded and chaired the HDTV Model Station and served as a leader of the Advanced Television Test Center (ATTC). He is a charter inductee to the Academy of Digital Television Pioneers, and received its highest award as the industry leader most influential in advancing HDTV. He focused on the need for and led the effort to obtain the 2009 cut-off date of analog broadcasting.

As chairman of the Home Recording Rights Coalition (HRRC), Shapiro led the manufacturers' battle to preserve the legality of recording technology and consumer fair use rights. Shapiro has held many exhibition industry leadership posts, and received the exhibition industry's highest honor, the Pinnacle Award. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Northern Virginia Technology Council, the State Department's Advisory Committee on International Communications and Information Policy, and the Board of Directors of the Washington Economic Club. He has served as a member of the Commonwealth of Virginia's Commission on Information Technology and on the Board of Visitors of George Mason University. Shapiro also has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a 'mastermind' for his initiative in helping to create the Industry Cooperative for Ozone Layer Protection (ICOLP).

Shapiro leads a staff of 140 employees and thousands of industry volunteers and has testified before Congress on technology and business issues more than 20 times. He has received annual recognition from The Hill since 2006 as a "top lobbyist" in Washington. Also, Washington Life magazine has named him one of the 100 most influential people in Washington, D.C. CEA has won many awards as a family friendly employer and one of the best places in Virginia to work.

Shapiro authored the 2011 bestselling book The Comeback: How Innovation Will Restore the American Dream (Beaufort).

Prior to joining the association, Shapiro was an associate at the law firm of Squire Sanders. He also has worked on Capitol Hill, as an assistant to a member of Congress. He received his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center and is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate with a double major in economics and psychology from Binghamton University. He is married to Dr. Susan Malinowski, a retina surgeon.

Andrew Macey

Vice President of Strategy
Sapient

Geoffrey Moore

Managing Director, Geoffrey Moore Consulting, Venture Partner
Mohr Davidow Ventures

Marthin De Beer

Senior Vice President, Emerging Business Group
Cisco Systems

Marthin De Beer, senior vice president of Cisco’s video and collaboration group, is responsible for the company’s efforts around end-to-end video and collaboration, energy, and home networking.

Rossi Ralenkotter

President and CEO
Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA)

As President and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), Rossi Ralenkotter is responsible for marketing Las Vegas and Southern Nevada as the world’s most desirable destination for leisure and business travel. Under his leadership, the LVCVA successfully launched “Vegas Stories,” the most successful branding campaign in tourism history. The campaign is best known for its oft-repeated tagline, “What happens here, stays here.™” It was selected the No. 1 campaign by the voting public this fall and will be inducted into the Madison Avenue Advertising Walk of Fame. The LVCVA owns and operates the Las Vegas Convention Center and Cashman Center. With Ralenkotter’s oversight, Las Vegas remains the world’s tradeshow capital, hosting 60 of the larges 250 tradeshows.