Adoption of RAIN RFID solutions has never been stronger. Billions of products now harness the capabilities of the technology, and with RAIN-enabled smartphones coming to market, coupled with the requirement of Digital Product Passport (DPP) legislation introducing mandated traceability, it’s a truly exciting time to be working in this space.

Ensuring that RAIN Alliance is best positioned to capitalise on this growth period is its Board of Directors. In March, we announced the results of our most recent Board elections, with Five accomplished industry experts from some of the world’s leading companies taking their seats for the next two years, joining the four existing directors elected last year under our staggered election cycle.

Together, this group consists of Abby Wu (Xindeco IoT), Gwen Volpe (Fresenius Kabi), James Goodland (NXP Semiconductors), Joseph Kunnen (Times-7 Research Limited), Juho Partanen (Impinj Inc.), Le Liu, Director (Qualcomm), Michael Fein (Zebra Technologies), Pierre Muller (EM Microelectronic), Tristan Finet (Decathlon).

Each delegate bring a unique perspective to the Board, shaped by their respective roles across the entire RAIN RFID ecosystem. To learn more about their experience, expertise, and the trends they are most excited about, we sat down with each member to learn about their vision for the future of RAIN Alliance.

Abby Wu, AGM – Global Business Development, Xindeco IoT

The APAC technology market is one of the most dynamic and high-potential regions globally. With chip manufacturers, solution providers, and end users continuously bringing innovative ideas into real-world applications, I’m extremely excited to see what the future holds. However, to make sure that the market can reach its full potential, it is imperative that solutions can work harmoniously, creating the connected future we hope for.

At Xindeco IoT, the team has been steadily developing international manufacturing capabilities and expanding global marketing networks and global engagement in the RAIN industry. I have been deeply fortunate to be involved in these efforts and contributing my part in the last 15 years. Through this experience, I have come to realize that trusted and unified standards are the core of enabling interoperable technologies.  I will continue to work alongside the company to act on this understanding. Together with the RAIN Alliance and global eco partners, we will focus on emerging opportunities like the EU DPP regulation, RAIN Smartphone adoption, and E-waste Workgroup, with the aim to practically contribute Chinese and APAC momentum to the global IoT industry. I am committed to helping awareness, adoption, and implementation of RAIN RFID in China and throughout the APAC region.

Gwen Volpe, Senior Director of Medication Technology Programs & Strategic Partnerships, Fresenius Kabi

Throughout my 25-year career in the pharmaceutical industry I’ve worked to translate technological innovation into improved clinical care, and during this time I’ve seen first-hand how trusted, standardized best practices can transform patient outcomes. In my role at Fresenius Kabi, I had the privilege of helping launch +RFID pre-tagged medications; an innovative solution that ensures hospitals have item-level serialization for their pharmaceuticals. This enfranchises healthcare professionals to identify, locate, and manage their inventory in real time, meaning that staff spend less time on administrative tasks and more time on delivering outstanding patient care.

RAIN RFID can undoubtedly play a significant role in a number of healthcare use cases, but to achieve its full potential, it must be shaped by those who will use it every day. Taking my seat on the RAIN Alliance Board, I’m committed to building awareness among healthcare leaders and accelerating standardization efforts that will drive seamless industry-wide interoperability and usher in a new era of seamless, efficient healthcare.

James Goodland, Director of RAIN RFID Solutions, NXP Semiconductors

From working on tire and pallet tracking solutions 25 years ago, to my current role as Commercial Director of UCODE RAIN Solutions at NXP, I’ve had the fortune to witness first-hand the transformation of RAIN RFID technology from an emerging technology to a fundamental pillar of modern connectivity. I’ve also seen the value it can deliver to the end user, as in my time at ASDA which at the time was part of the Walmart group, I led the supermarket’s RAIN RFID implementation rollout, managing the project from the initial business case for adoption through to deployment and scaling.

Throughout each of these roles, I have been personally embedded at the intersection of technology, project management, process and commercial strategy. I have driven adoption and innovation from both provider and customer side, and I understand the challenges and opportunities at play. That twin perspective is what I bring to the RAIN Alliance. In Working Groups, technical sessions and in my role on the Board, I’m committed to helping advance standards I genuinely believe in. The opportunity ahead is truly extraordinary, and by providing the standards that connect trillions of devices, together we can drive sustainability, visibility, and real industrial transformation.

Joseph “Jos” Kunnen, Director, Times-7 Research Limited

Over the past decade working within the RAIN ecosystem, I’ve helped lead Times-7 Research from a relatively niche operation in New Zealand into a global leader in high-performance RAIN RFID antennas. Our products now support mission-critical applications across retail, healthcare, logistics, manufacturing, and more thanks to secure and interoperable RAIN standards.

I’ve had a front row seat to some of the most significant technological shifts of our time, and the integration of RAIN into smartphones is the next one that I’m particularly excited to see. In my next two years serving on the RAIN Alliance Board, I hope to contribute towards this initiative which will put real-time data directly into the hands of everyday users and cannot wait to see the innovative solutions that our RAIN Alliance members are working on. Across countless use cases and markets, RAIN-enabled smartphone will have a transformative impact, with unparalleled improvements to operational efficiency and customer engagement.

Juho Partanen, VP Market Transformation, Impinj Inc.

Three powerful forces are converging to disrupt and reshape our industry. First, RAIN RFID is on its way into consumer devices through the RAIN in Smartphones initiative. Second, the need for circularity is forcing companies to consider the full life cycle of their product rather than just the supply chain towards their point of sale. Finally, Digital Product Passport requirements are moving from being seen as a compliance issue, to a strategic business opportunity.

20 years working in RAIN RFID, as Co-Founder of Voyantic and in my current role as VP Market Transformation at Impinj following its acquisition of Voyantic, has provided me with perspective, access, and an ability to steer industry in a direction that is beneficial to both end users and technology providers. The industry is not yet fully leveraging the business opportunities in front of it. On the Board of Directors, I remain committed to elevating RAIN Alliance to best meet the needs of its members, and drive forth a standards-based, interoperable and connected society.

Le Liu, Director, Technical Standards, Qualcomm

In my role leading IoT ecosystem work at Qualcomm, I bring a mobile-first perspective to everything I do. I have worked in standardization for almost 20 years, and throughout this time I’ve witnessed RAIN RFID evolve from an innovative concept to a technological lynchpin of our connected society. But the next big step is the one I’m most excited about.

When RAIN RFID becomes readily available in off-the-shelf smartphones, interoperability stops being a challenge and starts being a baseline for innovation. Scalable, AI-native solutions that are available to end users via a device already in their pocket will empower businesses and individuals alike.

The key to making all this possible is co-operation. Serving on the RAIN Alliance Board, I hope to connect technical providers, developers and end-users to foster an environment of collaboration as we work together to drive adoption of RAIN RFID as a trusted, interoperable and standardized technology across all industrial and geographic markets.

Michael Fein, Director of Product Management, RAIN RFID, Zebra Technologies

At Zebra, I oversee a diverse and growing portfolio of RAIN RFID products, including fixed and handheld readers, printers, antennas, scanners and platform software. We work alongside more than 10,000 global partners across a multitude of different ecosystems, creating state-of-the-art applications designed specifically to optimize workflows and asset management. 

I’ve been a part of RAIN Alliance since the very beginning, and I’m excited to say that we are reaching new heights of a major adoption shift for RAIN RFID. Retail is thriving in terms of market penetration and adoption, as are industries such as transportation and logistics. Meanwhile, we are seeing exciting growth in other markets such as food distribution and pharmaceuticals. Thanks to the impending onset of RAIN RFID in consumer grade devices such as smartphones, we are also primed to see the technology deployed at scale in a way we’ve never seen before, for use cases previously unimagined. I look forward to leading our members into this next wave of adoption over the course of my next two years of service on the RAIN Alliance Board.

Pierre Muller, RFID General Manager, EM Microelectronic 

I’ve dedicated my career to enhancing security standardization, serving as a technical expert for numerous industry leaders and organisational bodies. EM Microelectronic has been committed to RAIN Alliance for over a decade, consistently working to bridge the gap between RAIN technology and real-world consumer interaction.

That long-term investment reflects our conviction that RAIN RFID’s most transformative chapter is still ahead. Added specifications for RAIN readers, defining B2C use cases to be fully prepared for the impending Digital Product Passport, and the integration of RAIN RFID into smartphones are just some of the exciting activities coming out of RAIN Alliance at this moment. On the Board of Directors, I am committed to bringing a combination of business and technical expertise to increase the value that RAIN Alliance provides to its members, and enrich the connected device ecosystem as a whole.

Tristan Finet, Program Support & Communication Leader, Decathlon

Decathlon operates one of retail’s most advanced traceability systems, using RAIN RFID to track raw materials, components, and finished products across our entire supply chain. For the past 10 years, in my role I have contributed to the design of our several proprietary in-store RAIN RFID system such as RAIN RFID tills, helping create a frictionless checkout experience for our millions of customers worldwide. I now lead our “customer transparency experience” initiative, focusing on providing sustainability, supply chain transparency and product interaction to our customers by leveraging Unique IDs and RAIN-enabled smartphones.

Since 2019 I’ve contributed to multiple RAIN Alliance working groups, giving me a broad view of where the technology stands, where it needs to go, and the critical role interoperable standards play in fulfilling this mission. Serving on the Board, I look forward to helping solidify RAIN RFID’s role as a “citizen data carrier”, particularly in advancing the Digital Product Passport (DPP) and ensuring our standards remain aligned with, and influence, evolving legal frameworks to empower the end user.

Leading the next generation of RAIN RFID

The five new and four incumbent members of the RAIN Alliance Board of Directors will continue to represent our diverse members, working together to create a smarter and more sustainable world by using RAIN technology to connect trillions of everyday items across their entire lifecycle, simply and inexpensively.

Read more about the RAIN Alliance Board of Directors here.