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August 4, 2025  |  by Donald Hayes

AUTOSOL’s Andrew Hinz Elected as Supplier Member Representative to The Open Group Governing Board

AUTOSOL ‘s Andrew Hinz, who serves as Senior Manager, Digital Solutions, was recently appointed to a 3-year term as Supplier Member Representative on The Open Group Governing Board. The Open Group is a global consortium that seeks to enable the achievement of business objectives” by developing open, vendor-neutral technology standards and certifications. It has 900+ member organizations and provides a number of services, including strategy, management, innovation and research, standards, certification, and test development. Hinz submitted the statement below to The Open Group as a reflection of his priorities with respect to his election to the body’s governing board:

I believe The Open Group stands at a critical juncture—one where standardization must not only keep pace with technology, but also actively shape it. If elected, my priorities will include:

  1. Bridging the IT/OT Divide: As digitalization accelerates in traditionally OT-dominated sectors like energy and utilities, we must ensure Open Group frameworks evolve to accommodate real-time systems, field-level telemetry, and industrial protocols that define modern edge computing.
  2. Amplifying the Voice of Industrial Suppliers: Regional and domain-specific suppliers must have better representation in standards evolution. I will advocate for more inclusive engagement models that reflect the diversity of challenges and innovations emerging across the supply chain.
  3. Fostering Practical Collaboration: I aim to promote collaboration beyond formal forums—through working groups, field trials, and cross-industry workshops that validate standards in live environments and provide critical feedback to the broader ecosystem.
  4. Enabling the Next Generation: As we navigate the future of digital infrastructure, I will work to elevate the role of startups, field engineers, and SMEs who are building the operational backbones of tomorrow’s industrial systems.

My approach is pragmatic, field-tested, and deeply aligned with the mission of The Open Group. I believe this role is not just about standards governance—it’s about creating the connective tissue that allows technologies, people, and industries to evolve together.