LAFAYETTE, Colo. — Dec. 11, 2019 — Women in Consumer Technology, an organization that promotes the advancement of women in the consumer technology industry, today announced the six recipients of its 2020 Legacy Awards. The awards honor remarkable women who are changing the landscape of the consumer technology industry through their leadership in the retail, distribution, sales, marketing, merchandising, integration, publishing, and trade association segments. They will be recognized during the Women in Consumer Technology's annual networking reception on Jan. 7, during CES 2020.
"We're beginning our second decade of honoring the women in our industry who are not only role models but also innovators," said Carol Campbell, founder of Women in Consumer Technology. "Every year our pool of nominations grows larger, and it becomes harder to select the final recipients because each one of them embodies the spirit of what the Legacy Awards represents. It's a truly wonderful problem to have as an organization committed to empowering women in the technology field. We're so proud of all our nominees and wish to congratulate this year's stand-out award recipients."
Meet the Women in Consumer Technology 2020 Legacy Award Honorees:
Laura McNew, Vice President of Merchandising at Petra Industries: For more than two decades, McNew has been a driving force behind Petra Industries' thriving product offering. Through a keen understanding of the market and discerning leadership, McNew creates new, innovative opportunities for Petra in untapped markets and cultivates crucial relationships that allow Petra to grow and thrive. Her strategic approach, industry knowledge and foresight enable Petra to pursue new technology, product lines and vendors and adapt to changing markets.
Petro Shimonishi, Director of Global Marketing at URC: Shimonishi has over 20 years' experience in global consumer marketing and product management with many technology leaders, including Sennheiser, Klipsch, and Denon — to name a few. She holds an MBA in international business from Arizona State's Thunderbird School of Global Management, speaks five languages, and also has expertise in computer coding. Shimonishi serves on several boards, including the Women in CT advisory board. Along with volunteering with UNICEF, she started her own organization to educate children in developing countries on computing and new technologies.
Cindy Stevens, Senior Director of Publications for the Consumer Technology Association™ (CTA™): Stevens serves as Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of CTA's award-winning bi-monthly magazine, It Is Innovation (i3), oversees many of CTA's other publications, and directs the CT Hall of Fame program. Previously, she was Wireless Business & Technology magazine's Editor-in-Chief and directed the editorial efforts of three additional magazines. She served on the CTA Foundation's board of trustees and on the Publishers Advisory Committee for BPA Worldwide. Stevens holds a B.S. in journalism from the University of Maryland.
Christa Wittenberg, Director of Global Retail Sales for the AR/VR Division of Facebook: Wittenberg leads the global retail team focused on developing channel strategies and growing the install base for Facebook's hardware efforts. She joined Oculus in January 2016, where she launched the first hardware device — Oculus RIFT — for Facebook. Wittenberg has continued to launch multiple virtual reality and smart home products including Oculus GO, Oculus Quest, and Portal hardware. Prior to Facebook, she held various marketing and sales positions with several companies within the video game industry, including Sony PlayStation, Midway Games, and Nintendo of America.
Woman to Watch Honoree: Danielle Karr, Architect & Designer Program Manager and Certified Showroom Program Specialist at Control4: Karr connects with interior designers and architects to explore and shape the future of smart homes and the professional design industry. Prior to Control4, she held copywriting positions with Cricut, Vivint Smart Home, Ultradent Products, Dereset Book, and BYU Broadcasting. Karr holds a Master of Science in technical and professional communications from Utah State University.
Carol Campbell Inspiration Award Honoree:Megan Pollock, Vice President, Strategic Communications of Samsung Electronics America: Pollock is responsible for creating the message, identifying the key audiences and securing the means by which to educate policymakers and the policymaking community about Samsung's employees, innovation, investment, and philanthropy in the U.S. She also oversees the strategic planning and partnerships for Samsung's Veterans and Military Families portfolio. Prior to joining Samsung, Pollock was Vice President for DKC Public Relations and the Director of Division and Policy Communications for the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). She was responsible for developing and implementing media outreach and public affairs strategies for many of CTA's key campaigns and also served as a spokesperson during CES. Prior to joining CTA, Pollock was project manager for the nonprofit organization Internet Education Foundation (IEF).
The annual Women in Consumer Technology networking reception will be held during CES 2020 on Jan. 7 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Marcello Ballroom 4405 in the Venetian hotel in Las Vegas. The awards ceremony starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are now available for purchase online.
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About Women in Consumer Technology
Women in Consumer Technology is an interactive community created to provide women in the consumer technology industry with an environment promoting networking and professional growth through the development of relationships and new opportunities. For additional information about membership benefits and to join, please visit www.womeninconsumertechnology.org.
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Photo Caption: Honoree Head Shots
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