New CEO named at SimplyLEDs

Schmitt. Photo by Brenda Leap

SimplyLEDs President Stephan Schmitt has transitioned to CEO, succeeding founder Bob Deely, who has resumed his role as chief technology officer for the company. Schmitt, who was one of the company’s initial investors and board members, said the move is a long-planned succession. Deely, who earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering at Stanford University and fellow former Hewlett Packard (HP) engineers, founded SimplyLEDs in 2010 in a garage. Schmitt, a German expat, has worked in the technology industry for more than three decades, retiring from HP in 2020 after serving as vice president for its office printing solutions division. He joined SimplyLEDs in June 2021 as a managing partner to take over the CEO role and allow Deely to lead the company’s technology roadmap. Schmitt is helming the company as it enters its next chapter: evolving from manufacturing lights and lighting control solutions to controlling the environment using lighting infrastructure. He said the fundamental purpose of this company is not to build lights, but to create a more welcoming and sustainable community, and there are so many opportunities, which is one of the reasons he is excited to lead the company. Schmitt also said SimplyLEDs achieved remarkable success during Deely’s time as CEO, highlighting the company received its first LED mesh networking patent in 2010; it now has more than a dozen patents.

Deely. Photo by Brenda Leap