Tony Fadell, the former Apple executive that established Nest which was later acquired by Google, has set his sights on the world of auto suppliers, joining a council of elites meant to help Canadian company Magna make their biggest decisions regarding technology. The Technology Advisory Council that Fadell is joining is headed by Magna CTO Swamy Kotagiri, and he is joined by Ian Hunter, a professor of mobility technologies at MIT. The council will help the company make decisions on a number of technologies, find additional business opportunities to pursue, and directly contribute to technical projects, where possible.
Fadell stated that he is excited to be working with Magna because of how innovative the firm is and due to its optimal market position that allows it to change the industry. Magna operates globally, with over 155,000 employees across 29 countries, and is focused on manufacturing and engineering across a total of 419 locations. The firm is able to do what it does on such a massive scale because of its many contracts with auto companies worldwide. Its list of accolades is extensive and includes industry awards won yearly, as well as recognition from individual clients, such as the Ford World Excellence Award and the GM Supplier Quality Excellence Award.
The continued adventures of Tony Fadell draw on his previous experience in engineering and consumer-oriented technology. Before co-founding Nest, Fadell was one of the top contributors to the design and functionality of the original Apple iPod, the device that ultimately brought the San Cupertino-based company to the position of power that allowed it to release the market-dominating iPhone back in 2007. Nest faltered a bit after being bought by Google in 2014 but is still operating steadily and delivering new consumer products. As for Fadell, he hasn’t announced any other news about how his future is going to go aside from the new position on the council with Magna. The new position is a prestigious one indeed, holding large sway with one of the biggest automotive suppliers and manufacturers in the world, so there may not be room for much else at this time, aside from his go-kart startup.