Kevin Johnson, Former CEO of Starbucks and Juniper Networks, Appointed to Recogni Board of Directors
Industry Veteran to bring expertise in growing Generative AI space
SAN JOSE, CALIF. - April 30, 2024 - Recogni, Inc., an innovator in Generative AI inference technology for silicon and systems, is proud to announce the appointment of Kevin Johnson as its newest independent board member and investor. Johnson brings a wealth of leadership experience, having served as the CEO of Starbucks, CEO of Juniper Networks, and President of Microsoft’s platform division.
“As Recogni embraces a crucial phase in its evolution as a leader in Generative AI, we are honored to have Kevin join our board,” said Sriram Viswanathan, Recogni’s chairman of the board of directors. “His appointment comes at a pivotal moment as our technology stands to significantly broaden AI's accessibility and market reach, while prioritizing economic and environmental sustainability. Kevin's profound insights into the enterprise and cloud domains, coupled with his extensive network among industry luminaries are assets we hold in high regard. The board and the company alike look forward to the invaluable contributions he will bring.”
In each of his prior leadership roles, Johnson led businesses towards innovation, market expansion, and significant revenue growth. Johnson was a pivotal force in refining sales strategies, broadening digital footprint to propel company growth, and ensuring agility and responsiveness to the evolving trends of the market.
At Microsoft, his strategic vision and adept management significantly fortified the company in the tech industry and steered it through a fiercely competitive arena. Johnson embraced the emergent trends of cloud computing and online platforms, at a time that enabled Microsoft to capitalize on the burgeoning opportunities within the cloud sphere.
“I am impressed by the innovation and technological edge Recogni holds in the development of silicon and systems for multi-modal Generative AI,” noted Johnson. “We stand at a pivotal moment in history as AI is poised to become a ubiquitous presence in our lives. That will require continued innovation to elevate performance capabilities in inference computing platforms. Recogni has the foundational intellectual property and necessary ingredients to enable a new performance paradigm for AI inference engines. As an investor and newest member of the board member, I believe in this company and am personally committed to its success.”
Johnson's distinguished board service extends beyond Recogni. He holds positions on the Board of Directors at Goldman Sachs, Amperity, and Twin Health.
“We are privileged to have Kevin join our board of directors,” said Marc Bolitho, CEO of Recogni. “His remarkable track record in executive leadership, scaling businesses, and navigating dynamic markets will be of great advantage to us. Kevin's adeptness in steering through the rapidly evolving realm of technology will provide Recogni with critical insights to help us reach our next phase of growth.”
About Recogni
Recogni develops AI-based inference processing solutions for Generative AI and intelligent autonomous platforms. Recogni delivers solutions for high compute, low power, and scalability. The company received its first round of funding in 2019 and has offices in San Jose, California and Munich, Germany. Lead investors are GreatPoint Ventures, Celesta Capital, Mayfield, DNS Capital, and BMW iVentures. For more information, visit www.recogni.com.
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Angela Simoes
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