Robert J. Struble has been appointed CEO of Directed, the manufacturer of vehicle security and remote-start products, replacing Tarek Kutrieh, who served as president.
Kutrieh married in 2016 and left the company in January in order to be located closer to his wife, a company spokesman told Radio World’s sister publication TWICE. Struble has also been named a member of the DEI Holdings board of directors, Directed’s parent company. DEI is owned by private equity firm Charlesbank Capital Partners.
Struble was most recently CEO and founder of iBiquity Digital and has held positions with Westinghouse, McKinsey and Co. along with USA Digital Radio. He will be based in Directed’s Vista, Calif., headquarters.
Said Jim Minarik, chairman of DEI Holdings’ board of directors, in a statement: “Bob’s success at building iBiquity and HD Radio technology from its infancy to mainstream adoption and an ultimate sale of the business speaks volumes about his tremendous talent and abilities. We look forward to having Bob lead and grow Directed’s industry-leading vehicle security and remote start business, our connected car business with Viper SmartStart and other products, our Usage Based Insurance business, as well as develop other exciting new products and services for emerging mobile markets.”
Struble said, “Directed has some of the most respected brands and leading technology in automotive electronics. The opportunity to take these great businesses forward and add additional growth drivers was incredibly attractive. The broader connected car space is exploding, and Directed will be a major participant.”
— TWICE
