The executive team and BoD work together to ensure the mission and goals of the Bluetooth SIG are fulfilled.
Mark Powell, CEO
Mark Powell is a wireless industry veteran and entrepreneur with 30 years experience in leadership positions at some of the largest and most innovative mobile technology providers in the industry. Since 2012, Mark has been the CEO of the Bluetooth SIG, a period during which the technology has experienced significant growth, both in volume and market applications with the arrival of technologies such as Bluetooth® Low Energy, Bluetooth Mesh, and Bluetooth Direction Finding. During that time the Bluetooth organization has been modernized and streamlined, growing to support the needs of the market and member companies and paving the way for new upcoming technologies, such as the next generation of Bluetooth Audio. Prior to the Bluetooth SIG, Mark served as vice president of the client software business unit at Kineto Wireless, a company he co-founded in 2001 with the vision of using unlicensed spectrum to deliver cellular services, and in executive roles at mobile industry leaders Nokia and later Motorola, where he led the handset division portfolio team launching many innovative products including some of Motorola’s first Bluetooth enabled phones.
Ken Kolderup, CMO
Ken Kolderup leads an international team responsible for marketing, business development, and developer relations at the Bluetooth SIG. His team works in cooperation with more than 35,000 member companies to increase the awareness, understanding, and adoption of Bluetooth technology.
Kolderup brings over 25 years of marketing, business development, and general management experience to his role. Most recently, he served as the Chief Marketing Officer at Taqua, a key innovator and leading supplier of virtualized core network solutions to mobile operators worldwide. Prior to Taqua, Kolderup served as the Chief Marketing Officer at Kineto Wireless, as well as the general manager for the company’s core network products business unit. After starting his career at IBM, he went on to help build and lead several successful companies including Jetstream Communications, Edify and Centigram Communications.
Kolderup holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Master of Science in Industrial Engineering from Stanford University. A native of California, he enjoys mountain biking, surfing and spending time with his family, especially outdoors.
Denise Montoya, VP of Qualifications
Denise Montoya is the Vice President of Qualifications. In her role, Montoya oversees the planning and delivery of the SIG project portfolio in service of the Bluetooth Core Programs. She also leads the product management area which focuses on providing members a positive tool experience for use during the development of specifications, testing member products, and ultimately the member qualification of their Bluetooth devices.
Montoya has over 25 years of experience in the technology industry in bringing new products and services to market. Most recently, she was at Microsoft where she drove internal adoption and marketing of the Dynamics product and shifted teams to a service-based, customer-centric mindset. Prior to Microsoft, she spent over 20 years in the wireless industry both domestically and internationally in a variety of roles within Operations, IT, and Program Offices for delivering initiatives for the Marketing and Product teams. She focuses on visibility and collaboration across teams and bringing scalability to drive effectiveness.
Montoya holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois.
Steve Chalgren, VP & GM of Specification
Steve Chalgren leads the Specifications Program at the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG). His team supports our member companies that collaborate and invent new Bluetooth technology specifications, create methods to validate critical interoperability of Bluetooth devices, and respond to security vulnerabilities as they are discovered or reported.
Chalgren brings over 25 years of software-focused R&D, product, and general management leadership to his role. Recently, he served as the SVP of Business Strategy and Planning for Altium, a global electrical engineering eCAD design tool and product realization provider. Before Altium, Chalgren served as the Chief Strategy Officer & EVP of Product Management at Arena Solutions, a leading cloud Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) provider. His career has spanned both manufacturing and software roles, mainly at technology start-ups, including Tricord Systems, Jetstream Communications, Agile Software, and Bocada.
Chalgren holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Minnesota. He grew up fully embracing the four-season weather of the northern states: Montana, North Dakota, and Minnesota. Today, he enjoys mountain biking, skiing, and coaching his daughter’s soccer team in temperate Northern California.
