Pine Brook, NJ, September 1, 2026. MeshConnect Controls today announced the appointment of Jeff Bristol as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO). Bristol will lead MeshConnect’s commercial strategy and build the organization that drives adoption of its control’s platform among OEM fixture manufacturers.
Bristol brings more than 30 years of executive leadership in the lighting and controls industry, with deep experience building and running OEM businesses. His career has centered on developing OEM partnerships, leading commercial organizations, and driving growth across complex lighting and distribution channels, exactly the capabilities MeshConnect needs as it scales.
“MeshConnect sits at a compelling intersection of lighting, controls, and OEM manufacturing,” said Bristol. “The lighting industry continues to evolve rapidly, and OEMs increasingly need controls that let them differentiate their fixtures and win projects without building and maintaining an entire control ecosystem themselves. MeshConnect has the technology, platform, and foundation to become a strategic partner to these manufacturers.”
Bristol’s experience includes senior leadership roles at Panasonic/Universal Lighting Technologies, Philips, Osram Sylvania, and MaxLite, spanning OEM, commercial and industrial, and international channels. Most recently, he served as Divisional Vice President of NEMRA Lighting, where he helped establish and rapidly grow the organization’s newly formed Lighting Division, building programs focused on education, networking, advocacy, and collaboration across the lighting industry.
“Jeff is a proven commercial leader with a track record of building successful OEM businesses and deep lighting industry relationships,” said Umesh Baheti, Managing Director of MeshConnect. “His experience understanding the customer’s needs, developing OEM partnerships and growing commercial organizations makes him the right person to lead MeshConnect’s next phase of growth, and we are thrilled to welcome him to the team.”
Building the OEM Controls Platform
MeshConnect provides OEM fixture manufacturers with access to a broad portfolio of controls technologies, helping them bring control solutions to market. Its portfolio spans a range of controls options, including its patented USB-C and audio-jack-based sensors, and scales from basic standalone solutions to enterprise-grade networked systems. The platform supports multiple technologies, including BLE, proprietary Bluetooth, Bluetooth NLC, Sub-GHz, and DALI, while providing OEMs with the engineering, technology, and commercial support required to move from product evaluation through design-in, production, and specification.
“What drew me to MeshConnect is the opportunity to help OEMs win,” Bristol added. “This isn’t about selling another controls system. It’s about being a technology and commercialization partner that helps manufacturers accelerate time-to-market, differentiate their products, create specification opportunities, and grow their businesses.”
Bristol will initially focus on expanding MeshConnect’s OEM relationships across North America while building a commercial organization dedicated to OEM design-in and technology adoption.
About MeshConnect
MeshConnect is an independently operated controls platform that helps fixture manufacturers onboard lighting controls with ease. MeshConnect provides OEM partners with quick plug and play sensor integration components, certified sensor hardware, and the software integration layer needed to bring intelligent controls to market quickly. The platform is protocol-agnostic at the software and sensor layer, backed by patented connector technology, and operates independently with its own commercial terms and partner relationships.
You must be logged in to post a comment.