Zebra Technologies announces that Melissa Luff Loizides has been named the company’s next chief people officer (CPO), effective Jan. 1, 2026. The current CPO, Jeff Schmitz, plans to step down on Dec. 31, 2025 and lead the integration of the Elo acquisition through the second quarter of 2026, after which he will retire.

This leadership transition reflects Zebra’s focus on strategic succession planning and commitment to the successful integration of Elo.

“We are thrilled to have Melissa join our executive team as chief people officer as she has played a critical role in ensuring we attract, engage and develop the best talent globally,” says Bill Burns, CEO, Zebra Technologies. “We are also grateful to Jeff for his commitment to developing talented leaders and driving critical transformation initiatives within Zebra. His contributions have helped build a strong culture where employees feel they belong and can bring their best selves to work.”

Luff Loizides joined Zebra in 2014 when the company acquired Motorola Solutions’ Enterprise Business. Since that time, she has held various leadership roles within the People Team, most recently serving as VP of global talent. In this role, her responsibilities included advancing Zebra’s strategic workforce planning efforts and fostering the company’s purpose and values.

“It has been an honor to serve on Zebra’s executive leadership team in my previous role as chief marketing officer and then as chief people officer, and I’m incredibly proud of the Zebra Nation and our commitment to our customers, partners, each other and the communities we serve,” says Schmitz. “Melissa’s passion for building and coaching high-performing teams will help advance Zebra’s role in creating new ways of working that make everyday life better for organizations, their employees and those they serve.”

“I am honored to take on the role of Zebra’s chief people officer and look forward to joining our executive leadership team,” says Luff Loizides. “We have continued to advance our culture where our talent thrives in creating tomorrow together. Our people are our greatest asset, and we remain committed to promoting an environment where they feel seen, heard, valued and respected.”