SmartSense by Digi announces Food Service Advisory Board Chairman and Members to Empower Organizations Leveraging IoT Solutions, Promote Efficiencies, and Increase Effectiveness Within Sector

SmartSense by Digi®, part of Digi International (NASDAQ: DGII, www.digi.com), a leading global provider of Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity solutions, today announced the formation of the Food Service Advisory Board to support continuous improvement of the company’s production, distribution, and customer-success processes.

As regulations in the food sector continue to evolve, the FSAB will advocate for strategies to enhance efficiency and effectiveness within the food supply chain while also promoting public health. Featuring a diverse collection of the best and brightest minds across food service, the board will provide critical insights and expert recommendations that enable SmartSense by Digi to enhance its IoT solutions to amplify business outcomes, operational efficiency, loss prevention, compliance, and food safety.

The FSAB will be led by John Deane, Managing Director of Clipper Advisory Group. He specializes in advising IT organizations regarding function management, practical strategic planning, operational process improvement, and achieving returns from technology investments. Previously, Deane was Chief Operating Officer at Wendy’s; Chief Information Officer at Abercrombie & Fitch; and Chief Information Officer at Ascena Retail Group. Dean will be joined by the following inaugural members:

• Victor Vercammen is the Vice President of Risk and the Chief Compliance Officer at Giant Eagle, Inc., America’s leading regional food, pharmacy, and convenience store retailer, where he is dedicated to protecting guests, team members, assets, and products across all operations.
• David Steck is the Vice President of IT Infrastructure and Application Development at Schnuck Markets, Inc., where he provides leadership and strategic planning for innovations in store technology — including robotics, app development, electronic shelf labels, RFID, and supply chain process improvements — aiming to empower a seamless customer experience at the company's 112 stores.
• Tom Mueller is the President and Partner at Mueller Consulting, where he provides expertise to clients on restaurant management and franchising, strategic planning, menu development, P&L management, and quality store operations. Earlier, Tom served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Wendy’s and Senior Vice President of Operations for Burger King.
• Mike Tobin is the Director of Operations Administration at Charleys Philly Steaks, where he leads organizational transformation through innovative training programs and continuous process improvement. Mike is skilled in identifying and improving process and system operations to drive revenue growth and organizational effectiveness.
• Laura-Zelda Villarreal is President of Nutrition Core Services and a Professor in the School of Nutrition Program at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. She is a registered Dietician Nutritionist (RDN), School Nutrition Specialist (SNS), and licensed dietician (LD).

“As our customers continue to navigate unprecedented volatility, this board will arm us with actionable business insights, perspectives, and guidance that are invaluable in today's market," said Guy Yehiav, President of SmartSense by Digi. “We are grateful to this group of distinguished individuals for their continued support and look forward to working with them to support our customer communities in food services.”

“Many businesses are unaware of the opportunities that digital technologies can bring to the food services industry,” said Deane. “I look forward to meeting other members of the board and the SmartSense team to collaborate on the best ways to provide food safety through IoT solutions.”

The Food Service Advisory Board and recently announced Healthcare Advisory Board will gather for their first meetings Oct. 16-18 in Boston.

For more information, please visit: www.smartsense.co/

About Digi International

Digi International (NASDAQ: DGII) is a leading global provider of IoT connectivity products, services, and solutions. It helps companies create next-generation connected products and deploy and manage critical communications infrastructures in demanding environments with high levels of security and reliability. Founded in 1985, Digi has helped customers connect more than 100 million things and counting. For more information, visit www.digi.com.

About SmartSense by Digi

SmartSense by Digi®, a business unit of Digi International (NASDAQ: DGII), is a leading global provider of Internet of Things (IoT) Sensing as a Service solutions that deliver dynamic and personalized asset monitoring, process digitization, and digital decisioning across key verticals. The company enables business customers to leverage the power of IoT automation, prescriptive workflows, and insightful analytics to ensure compliance, workforce productivity, brand loyalty, loss prevention, and reduced waste, and lower energy consumption. Combining new and innovative data-driven approaches with world-class IoT tools, SmartSense partners with enterprises to elevate their business outcomes and asset protection to new heights. For more information, visit https://www.smartsense.co/

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