ODVA expands marketing team amid global member growth

ODVA, the international standards development and trade organization for industrial automation, has announced Steven Fales as its director of marketing.

Fales brings a host of customer, brand and channel marketing skills to the organization, including over 15 years of progressive marketing and product management experience in manufacturing companies serving the industrial and automotive sectors. Fales holds an undergraduate degree in economics from Wayne State University and an MBA with a concentration in marketing (brand management) from Olin Business School at Washington University in Saint Louis.

Most recently, he was a product marketing manager for fieldbus electronics and pneumatic valves with Emerson.

“We are thrilled to enhance the management team to increase our ability to educate industry on the advantages of using EtherNet/IP and its distinctive services such as CIP Security and CIP Safety,” says Adrienne Meyer, vice-president of membership and operations at ODVA. “ODVA’s community of members and vendors will benefit directly from the perspective and experience Steve Fales brings to the organization.”

ODVA has recently expanded to over 350 members and over 700 authorized vendors. As a member-driven organization, ODVA helps implementers of its technologies reach an increased base of potential customers with its ODVA technology solutions through a variety of promotional opportunities.

ODVA provides vendor training, participates in trade shows and forums, and hosts roundtable discussions and interoperability PlugFests to serve the needs of vendors and members.

To help maintain a high level of customer satisfaction on a global basis amid the growth of membership, activities and EtherNet/IP adoption, ODVA chose to expand the marketing capacity of the organization to continue a strong focus on technology enhancement, membership service and growth.

“The addition of dedicated marketing leadership to our organization is timely considering the significant opportunities that IIoT and Industry 4.0 are opening up in the industrial automation market,” says Dr. Al Beydoun, president and executive director at ODVA.