TJ Fox has been appointed to the newly created role of senior vice president of industrial IoT and automotive for Verizon Business.

The job is dedicated to fuelling the company’s expansion in the connected vehicle, device and industrial equipment markets. Fox is responsible for leading business development, commercial modelling and cross-functional efforts for Verizon’s IoT and connected auto activities across multiple industries and business sectors.

“Customers need IoT that transitions seamlessly between fixed positions like warehouses and mobile locations moving across environments and geographies,” said Fox. “As we advance into the 5G and MEC enhanced massive IoT era, Verizon has the existing network superiority, ongoing network investment – including our recently acquired C-Band spectrum – and deep enterprise experience to be partner of choice for customers with IoT and connected vehicle ambitions at the highest scale.”

Sampath Sowmyanarayan, chief revenue officer of Verizon Business, added: “In naming a leader who can catalyse growth in burgeoning and rapidly changing markets, TJ was the obvious choice. He has excelled at any task that is his charge in nearly three decades at Verizon and, with the company in prime position to take advantage of the enormous IoT growth on the horizon, he has the experience, drive and vision to spearhead our expansion in these spaces.”

In the last decade, Verizon has built a dynamic portfolio of IoT products including connectivity for OEM, connected asset tracking and condition monitoring, IoT device and ecosystem management, and smart energy and utilities services.

Fox previously served as SVP and president of Verizon Business Markets, leading 5000 sales professionals dedicated to selling wireless and wireline products to small and medium businesses in the USA, contributing to an annual revenue of $12bn. He has also held positions in retail and business sales, telesales, US operations, US customer service operations and Verizon Enterprise, and several senior executive-level national and field operations roles, including SVP of the wireless business group and SVP of national operations for Verizon Wireless.

He also served as president of the Illinois and Wisconsin region of Verizon Wireless.

Fox has been named a Crain’s Chicago 40-under-40 award winner and is a seven-time recipient of Verizon President’s Cabinet award, which is the highest honour that a Verizon sales professional can attain. He sits on the leadership council for Prevent Child Abuse America (PCAA).