Neonode Strengthens Presence in USA with the recruitment of Dominik Marx, Director of Business Development for North and South America

Neonode is delighted to welcome Dominik Marx to our Automotive Team. With over 30 years of experience in automotive engineering and business development, Dominik will play a key role in supporting our business across the Americas.

With a career spanning multiple continents and functions, Dominik Marx has built a reputation as a dynamic leader in automotive technology, seamlessly blending software and hardware expertise. From his early passion for software development to spearheading cutting-edge advancements in driver monitoring and telematics, his journey has been one of adaptability, innovation and strategic leadership.

We sat down with Dominik to find out more about his experience within the automotive industry, where he shares insights into his career evolution, key projects and the lessons learned along the way.

You’ve had a fascinating international career, working across multiple countries and roles. Let’s start from the beginning—where did your career take off?

I would say my career started when I was 12 years old when I discovered my deep passion for software development. By university age, my love for software was still present, but I felt I wanted to expand my knowledge into hardware so studied electronics and informatics at University of Applied Sciences Neu-Ulm in Germany – after all it would have been hard to build on the wealth of software knowledge already gathered by my teenage self! Thereafter I started my career in Sweden working as an Engineer, developing electronics and software for commercial vehicles. Over the years, I lived and worked in Germany, Sweden, Estonia, the UK, and the US, each time expanding my technical expertise and business leadership skills. Today, I reside in Detroit, Michigan, continuing to drive innovation in the automotive sector.

How did your career take off internationally?

I was really interested in working closer to the customer. I moved into sales, working as a Key Account Manager for Stoneridge and was focused on the EMEA market—Germany, the Netherlands, and Austria. One of my biggest wins was securing a deal for improved instrument clusters in trucks. After that, I felt the pull to return to development where I could continue to engineer future technologies that would solve the current challenges for customers across the automotive industry. I took on new roles where I could expand the portfolio of automotive offerings across Sweden, Britain, Estonia and the US.

How did the transition back to development happen?

In 2001, I found a job vacancy within the Stoneridge group that led me back to Sweden. I moved to Stockholm for a hands-on project role in telematic systems, and ended up working for the same organization, although in different Engineering roles, for 29 years.

How did your role evolve over those three decades?

My role evolved significantly, moving across different functions, verticals and even continents. I started as an engineer, transitioned into sales and key account management, then moved back into development, where I focused in areas including telematics, advanced electronics, connectivity, tacho systems and embedded automotive technologies.

Early on, I was deeply involved in regulatory-driven truck technologies like connectivity and tachographs. As my career progressed, I took on more leadership and strategic roles—working with mergers and acquisitions, opening (and closing) production plants and building new departments from the ground up, specifically in the telematic/connectivity sector. In the later stages of my career, I led the R&D innovation team in Detroit, spearheading future technology development in the U.S. This included advanced driver monitoring systems, predictive driver technology, trailer connectivity and AI-driven vehicle safety solutions. Several patents were the result of this work.

Throughout all of this, I maintained a balance between software and hardware development, always adapting to new challenges. My ability to shift between technical problem-solving and business strategy allowed me to contribute in multiple ways, from hands-on engineering to driving revenue, growth and innovation.

What project are you most proud of during your career?

I am most proud of having built an entire department from scratch, transforming it into the market leader in connectivity for commercial vehicles in the European market. Over the course of more than 15 years, I led this team through innovation, product development, and strategic expansion, driving technology advancements that reshaped the industry.

Starting with a small team, we developed six generations of telematics and connectivity solutions, integrating cutting-edge embedded systems, cloud connectivity, and fleet management technologies. We introduced over-the-air (OTA) update capabilities, in vehicle ethernet communication and embedded virtualization, positioning our solutions as the industry benchmark.

One of our major milestones was securing key OEM partnerships, which enabled us to roll out fleet-wide connectivity solutions across Europe and beyond. The impact of this work extended beyond just technology—we built a cross-functional, high-performing engineering team that delivered scalable, future-proof solutions, solidifying our position as the go-to provider for commercial vehicle connectivity.

This experience taught me the importance of leadership, innovation, and strategic execution—from building technical foundations to navigating complex business landscapes and ultimately shaping the future of automotive connectivity.

With such a dynamic career, what is your current role at Neonode?

My role at Neonode revolves around three core areas:

Sales & Business Development – Expanding our presence in North and South America, forging partnerships, and identifying new opportunities for our optical sensing, computer vision, and AI-driven solutions.

Value Creation – Bridging technology and customer needs to deliver innovative, AI-enhanced solutions that create real-world impact in automotive and beyond.

Strategic Development – Shaping long-term growth strategies, aligning market trends with product innovation, and driving business expansion.

I’m particularly excited to work with Neonode’s talented team and with our cutting-edge optical sensing, AI-powered vision systems and human-machine interaction technologies. By leveraging AI for intelligent perception and decision-making, we are redefining how users interact with vehicles, enhancing safety, efficiency, and the overall driving experience.

Finally, your career started in a small startup in Sweden and led to working at a global Tier 1 supplier. What has that journey taught you?

The biggest lesson has been the importance of adaptability. Technology evolves rapidly, and the ability to anticipate change, learn continuously, and embrace challenges has been key to my success.

From meeting regulatory requirements to building global teams and developing next-generation automotive technology, every challenge has been an opportunity to drive innovation. Whether it's engineering, business strategy, or leadership, the key is always to stay curious, proactive, and open to new possibilities.

And most importantly, maintaining a sense of humor, staying human, and being a good colleague—because at the end of the day, success is not just about technology and business; it’s about the people you work with and the culture you create together.

Are you based in the United States and want to meet Dominik in person?