

Press Release
Kiva Systems Appoints Amy Villeneuve President
Industry leader to focus on customer engagement process and further accelerate company growth
Woburn, MA – April 26, 2010 –
Kiva Systems (www.kivasystems.com), a developer of game-changing mobile-robotic solutions that automate order fulfillment and warehouse operations, today announced the appointment of Amy Villeneuve as president and chief operating officer. Villeneuve will be responsible for Kiva’s end-to-end customer engagement process, from sales and marketing through customer installation and support, and will report to Mick Mountz, CEO and founder.
Villeneuve brings more than 20 years of commercial leadership, including experience in corporate strategy, business development, operations and client management. Prior to joining Kiva, she was the executive vice president of marketing, strategy and product innovation for Cross Country Automotive Services, a provider of telematics solutions to the major automakers, where she was instrumental in doubling the size of the company over her eight-year tenure. Prior to Cross Country, she was a consultant with the Parthenon Group where she helped develop corporate strategies for both multi-national conglomerates and entrepreneurial clients. Previously, Villeneuve spent 13 years in the auto industry in a number of leadership, operational and account management positions. She holds a Master’s degree in business administration from Harvard Business School, a Master in Science, Industrial Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), and a Bachelor of Science from Clarkson University.
“Kiva Systems continues to be deployed by large and small companies, including
many household names,” said Villeneuve, president and COO of Kiva Systems.
"Our customers have used Kiva's breakthrough material handling approach to
ship over 15 million orders containing over 100 million lines in just the last
few years, establishing mobile-robotic order fulfillment is now mainstream. My primary focus is to ensure that our continuing growth is smart and
scalable, while continuing Kiva’s hands-on customer care philosophy.”
Kiva’s innovative approach to order fulfillment uses hundreds of mobile robotic drive units that bring inventory on movable shelves directly to workers, allowing easy and efficient access to all inventory items at all times. Elimination of operator walking and waiting enables worker productivity that is two- to four-times higher than with other automated systems. What’s more, because all the system components are mobile and modular, a Kiva-equipped distribution center has unprecedented flexibility when adding new products or expanding throughput—without disrupting ongoing operations.
“As the Inc. 500 reported, Kiva is the sixth fastest growing private company in America, so it’s no surprise we’re adding world class senior leadership this year to support our growth,” said Mick Mountz, founder and CEO of Kiva Systems. “We’re fortunate to have Amy on the team. A unique leader with deep experience in factory automation, Amy will further build on the customer-focused orientation that has become the hallmark of doing business with Kiva.”
About Kiva Systems
Kiva Systems, Inc. offers game-changing automation solutions for distribution centers that help companies simplify operations and reduce costs while increasing strategic flexibility. Using hundreds of autonomous mobile robots and sophisticated control software, the Kiva Mobile Fulfillment System enables extremely fast cycle times with reduced labor requirements, from receiving to order picking to shipping—all without conveyor. The result is a building that is quick and low-cost to set up, inexpensive to operate, and easy to change.
For more information on Kiva Systems and its solutions, please visit www.kivasystems.com.
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