Identiv Welcomes Kirsten Newquist as President, IoT Solutions

Identiv, Inc. announced that Kirsten Newquist, a proven corporate leader with nearly 30 years’ experience in building successful businesses, has joined the company as president, IoT Solutions. Newquist will assume the role of CEO of Identiv upon closing of the company’s recently announced transaction with security solutions provider Vitaprotech.

Newquist’s broad professional background spans corporate strategy, business development, product marketing, product development, project management, and global sales and marketing. She joins Identiv after 17 years at Avery Dennison Corporation, where she was most recently the global VP, Avery Dennison Smartrac, its RFID division.

She previously held other leadership roles within Avery, including global VP and GM of Avery Dennison Medical, where she significantly grew sales and profitability through patient-centric product innovation and an expanded manufacturing footprint. Prior to Avery, Newquist held senior positions at Copia Associates, Ancora Management Group, and Iwerks Entertainment.

“I am tremendously excited to be joining Identiv’s executive team at this critical juncture in the company’s history,” said Newquist. “Identiv has a unique and compelling opportunity to expand its early leadership position within the specialty IoT market. Its design, development, and production capabilities are well-suited across a wide range of segments, including healthcare, industrial, luxury goods, wine and spirits, and specialty retail.

“In particular, Identiv has shown notable strength in the healthcare, pharmaceutical, and medical device vertical,” Newquist added. “The company has already shown promising potential to deliver life-changing applications that improve patient safety and patient outcomes. I am very much looking forward to collaborating with our IoT team and visionary customers to accelerate the development of pioneering specialty IoT applications.”

“Following an extensive executive search, our board was thrilled to find Kirsten Newquist to lead the exciting growth and market leadership opportunity of our IoT business,” said James Ousley, chairman of the board of Identiv. “She has that rare balance of market vision and passion for robust, customer-focused execution that creates significant value-creation opportunities in business.”

“Kirsten is the perfect leader to grow Identiv IoT during this transformational market period,” Steven Humphreys, CEO of Identiv, noted. “Her expertise in RFID, especially within the strategically important healthcare industry, her proven success identifying new applications and use cases, as well as her customer-centric approach, are a great fit with Identiv.”

As noted in a press release issued on April 3, 2024, the transaction with Vitaprotech is expected to close in the third quarter of 2024, subject to stockholder approval and other customary closing conditions.