Rioux Leaving IDEA

Sept. 13, 2007
Amid controversy over the reasons for his departure, Mike Rioux, president of The Industry Data Exchange Association Inc. (IDEA), Arlington, Va., will be leaving his post at the end of November or when a successor is chosen.

Amid controversy over the reasons for his departure, Mike Rioux, president of The Industry Data Exchange Association Inc. (IDEA), Arlington, Va., will be leaving his post at the end of November or when a successor is chosen.

Although a press release from the National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED), St. Louis, said Rioux left IDEA “to pursue other career opportunities,” several of Rioux’s supporters aren’t so sure and are upset by his departure. NAED asked that any questions regarding the leadership change be directed to Tom Naber, NAED’s president and Todd Kumm, IDEA chairman of the board and Dakota Supply Group president and CEO.

The IDEA board will immediately begin its search for a new successor, said Kumm. “IDEA’s executive committee will immediately begin pursuing a capable and qualified president,” he said. “In the meantime, I am confident that the current IDEA staff will continue to exceed the expectations of the customers.

Evan Gaddis, NEMA’s president said in the IDEA release that “Although all of us at IDEA regret Mike’s departure, we respect his reasons and wish him the very best.”

IDEA was created in 1998 with funding and support from the NAED and the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), Rosslyn, Va. The organization has been instrumental in improving data quality in the electrical industry, overseeing industry data standards and driving down supply chain costs for its customers. Rioux became IDEA’s president in 2000, following several senior-level management positions in the aviation industry and 22 years in the Navy, including time as a Top Gun flight instructor and as a commanding officer of an F-14 fighter squadron.

According to an IDEA press release, while Rioux headed IDEA, the company grew from a staff of two to 24 employees; increased its customer base from 125 companies to more than 900 companies; and began offering its services to hundreds of suppliers outside the electrical industry that needed to comply with global synchronization standards. Rioux led the development and implementation of the Industry Data Exchange (version 2) known as IDX, and saw usage of that communications network grow by 600 percent. IDW2, the second version of the Industry Data Warehouse, has experienced huge growth during Rioux’s tenure.