Joe Grillo, a fixture of the security industry who founded and served as president of HID before becoming CEO of ASSA ABLOY's Global Technologies Division (formerly the Global Technologies Group) and executive vice president of Swedish parent company ASSA ABLOY, AB, is stepping down.
The circumstances of Grillo's departure were not fully described, but Grillo did say "The time is right for me to step down and search out new challenges." An announcement from Grillo and ASSA ABLOY indicated that the departure was on friendly terms, with Grillo calling the company "great" and saying he would miss his long-time friends and coworkers. Grillo also serves on the board of video surveillance firm OzVision.
Grillo was heavily involved in selling HID in 2000 to ASSA ABLOY, back when electronic access control technology was really starting to first take root in the security industry. Grillo was named as HID's President and CEO in 2000 after the sale and the departure of then-president Donald Nelson. Grillo was named as head of ASSA ABLOY's Global Technologies Group in February 2004.
HID was formed in 1993 as Hughes Identification Devices, a division of Hughes Aircraft Company. Grillo joined the company in 1993 as it started to take shape before a 1995 venture capital and management buy-out which was led by former execs from Hughes and IBM.
Johan Molin, CEO of parent ASSA ABLOY, will temporarily manage the Global Technologies Division until the company is able to name a permanent replacement.
