CES Boss Gary Shapiro Steps Down After 35-Year Run
The man who turned CES into tech's biggest annual circus is finally handing over the keys.
Gary Shapiro is out as CEO of the Consumer Technology Association after more than 35 years at the helm. The exec transformed CES from a trade show into the annual Vegas pilgrimage where every tech company pretends their product will change the world.
Kinsey Fabrizio, current CTA president, will take over as CEO starting May 1. She's been Shapiro's right hand and knows the operation inside out.
Shapiro's tenure saw CES evolve from a TV and stereo showcase into a sprawling spectacle covering everything from AI to flying cars to smart toilets. Love it or hate it, CES became the tech industry's annual kickoff event under his watch.
No word yet on what Shapiro plans to do next. Probably not attending CES as a regular attendee — those registration lines are brutal.