VANCOUVER, BC, June 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ – Keycafe, a leader in cloud-based key management, today announced two senior additions to its executive team: Rudi Airisto as Vice President of Corporate Development, and Robert Johnston as Vice President of Innovation & Operations. The appointments mark a significant step in Keycafe’s next phase of growth, strengthening both the company’s commercial reach and its connected-hardware platform as it expands across European and Asia Pacific markets.
“These appointments reflect where Keycafe is headed,” said Clayton Brown, Founder & CEO of Keycafe. “Rudi and Rob bring complementary strengths, one focused on the partnerships and customer relationships that unlock new markets, the other on the product innovation and operational rigor required to scale connected hardware globally. Together, they give us the leadership depth to take Keycafe into its next chapter.”
Rudi Airisto, Vice President of Corporate Development
Airisto will oversee partnerships and strategic programs that support Keycafe’s expansion across enterprise and public sector customers. He joins with a strong record of scaling technology companies, having held executive roles at Recon Instruments (acquired by Intel), Grow Technologies (acquired by ATB Financial), and Article, following earlier management consulting work at McKinsey & Company. He holds degrees from the University of Cambridge and INSEAD.
“Keycafe has built the most advanced product in its space, trusted by global brands like Amazon, Toyota, Hertz, and Hilton Hotels,” said Airisto. “I’m excited to lead our corporate development efforts and help the company expand into new markets and large-scale partnerships.”
Robert Johnston, Vice President of Innovation & Operations
Johnston will lead product innovation, hardware development, manufacturing strategy, and operational initiatives across Keycafe’s global smart key management platform. He brings more than 20 years of experience bringing connected hardware products from concept to global scale. Prior to Keycafe, Johnston spent two decades as Founder and President of Tanagram Design, a Vancouver-based industrial design consultancy that helped startups and established companies develop award-winning products across consumer electronics, IoT devices, and connected systems, including early-stage work with Keycafe as a client.
“Keycafe sits at the intersection of hardware, cloud, and IoT, exactly where I’ve spent my career,” said Johnston. “The company has a strong technical foundation and real momentum with global customers. I’m looking forward to helping scale the platform and shape the next generation of our products.”
A Platform Built for Global Scale
Keycafe’s platform is deployed by businesses across property management, logistics, automotive, and facilities services, with growing customer bases in Europe and Asia Pacific. The combined appointments position the company to accelerate international expansion while continuing to advance its IoT hardware and cloud infrastructure.
About Keycafe Keycafe is a B2B access management platform helping businesses securely manage and share physical keys across teams and locations. Trusted by global brands including Amazon, Stellantis, Avis, and Marriott Hotels, the platform offers real-time access control, activity tracking, and API integrations through its cloud-based system and IoT electronic key locker SmartBoxes. Keycafe serves customers across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.
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SOURCE KeyCafe Inc.
