Sonos, Inc. (Nasdaq: SONO) announced today that director Mike Volpi is stepping down from the Sonos Board of Directors. No reason was given for why Volpi was leaving. The company announced that Hugo Barra will replace Volpi on the board.
See more on the change of Barra for Volpi on the Sonos Board
The announcement today, April 10, 2025, was a bit of a surprise and there was no reason given for why Mike Volpi was being replaced. However, the company’s formal announcement said that Hugo Barra, Volpi’s replacement, is the new director as of April 7, 2025.
According to the announcement from Sonos, Barra has a rich technology product development background. Currently, he is a co-founder and head of product at /dev/agents, a software company building a next-generation operating system for AI agents. Prior to that, he was a co-founder and CEO at Detect, a biotech startup focused on ultra-low-cost molecular diagnostics.
Experience Includes Meta, Google, and Operating System for AI Agents
Earlier in his career, Barra was a Vice President at Meta where he ran its Oculus VR division. Before that, he was Vice President of Xiaomi where he oversaw global operations and the company’s expansion beyond China on the way to becoming the 3rd largest smartphone manufacturer in the world.
Hugo is a world-class technologist with senior executive experience at several of the most important and successful consumer tech companies. He has a proven ability to turn cutting-edge innovation into great products – a great fit for Sonos. With his deep expertise, including in AI, we’re excited to have him on the Board, engaging with the leadership team and adding value.
Julius Genachowski, Sonos Chairman of the Board
Perhaps a Clue to Why This Change is Taking Place
Before Xiaomi, Barra worked at Google as head of Android product management. Sonos says he “led the Android ecosystem from nascency through its first billion users.”
No reason was provided for the departure of Mike Volpi who has been a Sonos director for 15 years. But perhaps the clue to the change may lie in the skill set and career each of these two directors enjoy. As you can clearly see from Barra’s background, he has heavy experience in technology product development. Given the recent struggles of the brand to continue to expand the Sonos ecosystem, this technology input could be helpful.
A Short Stint as an Engineer and a Long Career as a Venture Capitalist
Volpi, an Italian/American also has a long resume with technology companies, but mostly as an early-stage venture capitalist or money man. He’s worked in one role or another with HP, Cisco, Joost, Citrix, Microsoft, Ericsson, and even sits on the Board at Ferrari.
“Sonos is a unique and exciting company, and I’m grateful for our 15 years together,” Volpi said. “I look forward to seeing Sonos flourish in the years ahead.”
Barra’s Focus on Product and Technology Management May Be the Key
At the end of the day, it just may be that Barra brings a fresh product and technology focus that will be a valuable stimulus for the company which has recently stumbled on the product development front – not to mention the great 2024 app disaster.
It’s an honor to join the Sonos Board. This is a company which makes delightful products that have brought me and my family many thousands of hours of joy over the years. I look forward to working with the team and focusing on the large opportunities ahead.
Hugo Barra, New Sonos Director
‘One of the World’s Very Best Early-Stage Investors’
The Sonos Board Chairman hailed Volpi’s contribution to Sonos over the years he has served as director. Says Genachowski, “He is one of the world’s very best early-stage investors who also has deep experience with great scaled companies, and we’re very fortunate and deeply grateful for his dedicated service to Sonos.”
Will the change to Barra be the spark that turns Sonos’ fortunes around?
Learn more about Sonos by visiting sonos.com.
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