Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM OCTOBER 2023 22 and tomorrow. Matter is guided by the Connectivity Standards Alliance whose members have come together across industries to transform the future of connectivity. "At Midea we are focused on creating smart products that are not just smart for smartness' sake, but that offer real benefits. At the heart of our focus is allowing users to operate their Midea smart home appliances seamlessly in tandem with other third parties through the Matter standard," said Patrick Serrato, Head of IoT at Midea America Corp. and Alliance Board Member. "We started last year with one of the first Matter-certified air conditioners and followed up earlier this year by presenting one of the first Matter-connected fan purifiers. Now we are demonstrating the first Matter-connected dishwasher. We are committed to Matter, and we will continue to innovate until all our product categories are Matter-certified." Even without Matter, Midea's latest dishwasher boasts a host of smart features that make life easier: it allows remote control via the app, enabling users to manage the dishwasher from any location, and it sends timely notifications to mobile devices as dishwasher cleaning reminders. With Matter, the Midea dishwasher will now offer a fast, secure and unified setup so that users can follow the same process to get connected with their dishwasher, lightbulb, or door lock. Once set up, the dishwasher will be able to connect seamlessly with other Matter-compatible devices throughout the household, regardless of their brands. With the upcoming launch of Matter 1.20 by the end of September or early October, Midea's Matter-connected dishwashers are expected to be among the first batch of industry-leading brands to offer services to consumers. Please visit www.midea.com/us for more information. NARI ANNOUNCES NEW CO-CEOS The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) is taking an innovative approach to fill its vacant chief executive officer (CEO) position. Two familiar faces from within NARI will lead the association as co-CEOs, effective immediately. Previous Interim CEO Elsie Iturralde, CAE, and previous Senior Director of Member Engagement and Governance Tracy Wright, CAE, will lead the NARI staff in tandem. Iturralde and Wright each have more than 22 years of experience with NARI and previously worked together at another association. They have maintained ASAE's Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential since 2009. This designation demonstrates a commitment to the association profession and an ongoing pursuit of knowledge in the association space. "The NARI Executive Officers and Board of Directors agreed that based on both Elsie and Tracy's breadth of experience and history of working together, the co-CEO role was a perfect fit to move NARI forward," said NARI President Andy Apter, CKBR, UDCP, who added that their complementary skill sets are an added benefit. "Elsie has twice served as Interim CEO, and Tracy has served in various leadership positions at NARI over the years. Together, this leadership team will help guide NARI to meet our strategic goals." The co-CEO role has been used by a number of corporations and is gaining popularity for its benefits. A recent Harvard Business Review article titled "Is It Time to Consider Co-CEOs?" stated: "Under the right circumstances, it's remarkable how much co-CEOs can do. They can bring deep and diverse competencies, backgrounds, and perspectives to the job. They can be in two places at once – literally. Together, they can master the increasing- ly complex corporate functions that CEOs today are expected to manage." I N D U S T R Y [ N E W S ] ELSIE ITURRALDE TRACY WRIGHT

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