Sonos has appointed Hugo Barra, a veteran software executive, to its board of directors as the company continues to address issues with its mobile app and revamp its product lineup.
Hugo Barra is joining the Sonos board, replacing Mike Volpi, who is stepping down after serving for 15 years, the longest tenure of any board member. Barra has a distinguished career, having held senior leadership positions at prominent technology companies. At Google, he played a crucial role in leading the Android ecosystem from its early stages to achieving its first billion users. Following his tenure at Google, Barra moved to Xiaomi, where he oversaw global operations for three years. He then joined Meta, serving as vice president of the Oculus virtual reality division.
Currently, Barra is the co-founder and head of product at /dev/agents, a software company focused on developing a next-generation operating system for AI agents. Sonos is eager to leverage Barra’s expertise and track record of delivering results. According to Sonos board chair Julius Genachowski, Barra’s ability to turn innovative technologies into successful products makes him a great fit for the company. Genachowski also highlighted Barra’s deep expertise, including in AI, as a valuable asset for the Sonos leadership team.
Sonos is presently working to improve its mobile app for Android and iOS by delivering performance enhancements, bug fixes, and new features. The company has been addressing issues with its app over the past year and has made significant changes to its product roadmap. As part of this effort, Sonos canceled its streaming video player project, codenamed Pinewood, to focus on enhancing the app. Other projects in development include a dedicated audio video receiver and a successor to the Era100 smart speaker.
The company’s product roadmap is currently in flux, but sources indicate that morale among employees has been improving under the leadership of interim CEO Tom Conrad, who is likely to become the official CEO. Conrad has been taking steps to improve the company’s direction and leadership, which has contributed to the positive shift in employee morale.
