BEDFORD, Mass., Mar 06, 2013 - iRobot Corp. (NASDAQ: IRBT), a leader in delivering robotic technology-based solutions, today announced that Christian Cerda has joined the company as senior vice president and general manager of its Home Robots business unit, effective immediately. Leveraging his significant consumer, retail channel and global experience, Cerda will build on Home Robots’ successful domestic and international expansion and product development. He will report directly to Jeff Beck, chief operating officer.
Having sold more than 9 million robots worldwide, iRobot’s award winning line of home robots includes the iRobot Roomba® vacuum cleaning robot, iRobot Scooba® floor washing robot, iRobot Mirra® pool cleaning robot and iRobot Looj™ gutter cleaning robot.
“In 2012, the Home Robot business had a phenomenal year with revenue increasing 28 percent from the previous year. In 2013, the business unit is expected to grow roughly 20 percent through continued adoption of home robots globally,” said Jeff Beck, chief operating officer of iRobot. “Christian’s extensive international and retail channel experience will be a valuable asset to iRobot’s continued growth through expanded distribution of new products, deeper penetration of existing markets and further expansion into Latin America and China.”
Cerda brings 16 years of international leadership experience with Fortune 500 companies and comes to iRobot from Whirlpool, where he most recently served as General Manager of one of the company’s most important sales channels. At Whirlpool, Cerda held a number of roles across their global footprint and was responsible for sales, marketing, brand communications, product development and operations. Prior to Whirlpool, Cerda held senior roles at The Boston Consulting Group and Procter and Gamble. Cerda holds a B.S. in Computer Engineering from Universidad Simon Bolivar and an MBA from the Northwestern University Kellogg Graduate School of Management.
“It is an honor to join a company that created an entire consumer product category and works hard to find new ways to exceed its customers’ expectations,” said Cerda. “I look forward to contributing to iRobot’s future success by leveraging my experience to grow the category through expanded brand visibility, continued development of high quality robots and improved operational performance.”
About iRobot Corp.
iRobot designs and builds robots that make a difference. The company’s home robots help people find smarter ways to clean, and its defense & security robots protect those in harm’s way. iRobot’s consumer and military robots feature iRobot Aware® robot intelligence systems, proprietary technology incorporating advanced concepts in navigation, mobility, manipulation and artificial intelligence. For more information about iRobot, please visit www.irobot.com.
For iRobot Investors
Certain statements made in this press release that are not based on historical information are forward-looking statements which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This press release contains express or implied forward-looking statements relating to, among other things, iRobot Corporation’s expectations concerning management's plans, objectives and strategies. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in these forward-looking statements. Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. iRobot Corporation undertakes no obligation to update or revise the information contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise. For additional disclosure regarding these and other risks faced by iRobot Corporation, see the disclosure contained in our public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including, without limitation, our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Contact:
Elise Caffrey
Investor Relations
iRobot Corp.
(781) 430-3003
ecaffrey@irobot.com
Matt Lloyd
Media Relations
iRobot Corp.
(781) 430-3720
mlloyd@irobot.com
