Robotics industry veteran Melonee Wise has been appointed Chief Product Officer for KUKA’s new Software & AI organisation, based in Silicon Valley. Her appointment marks a pivotal strategic shift for KUKA as it establishes a dedicated centre of excellence focused on deploying large-scale autonomous systems.
This initiative reflects KUKA’s ambition to become a more autonomous, connected, and software-defined enterprise, accelerating its transformation and positioning the company at the forefront of physical AI. The new organisation is designed to create the optimal environment for innovation in software-driven robotics, guided by experienced leadership with deep domain credibility.
Melonee brings global recognition for her leadership across commercial robotics. As founder and former CEO of Fetch Robotics, she led the company through rapid growth to a successful acquisition by Zebra Technologies. She later helped scale Agility Robotics from an R&D-led organisation into a commercial robotics leader, earning the prestigious Engelberger Award — widely regarded as the “Nobel Prize for Robotics.”
Her move to KUKA represents both a personal and professional milestone, and a significant moment for the company: the opportunity to help transform a storied robotics leader into a modern, AI- and software-driven powerhouse for the next era of intelligent automation.
