CHICAGO, Jan. 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EnsembleIQ’s Hospitality Technology (HT) announces Skip Kimpel has joined Restaurant Technology Network (RTN) as the Chief Standards & AI Officer.
Helping Operators Navigate Complexity
This role formalizes RTN’s commitment to advancing industry standards from static documentation into living, intelligent infrastructure that actively supports technology adoption and interoperability across the restaurant ecosystem.
Kimpel’s appointment comes at a critical moment for the restaurant industry. As AI-driven tools, data platforms, and point solutions proliferate, operators face increasing fragmentation, inconsistent data models, and unclear guidance on responsible adoption. RTN’s focus on modernizing standards reflects the industry’s need to move faster, without sacrificing interoperability, security, or long-term scalability.
“Skip's leadership will help RTN members navigate the rapidly evolving restaurant tech ecosystem through community-driven standards, technical resources, and meaningful industry connections,” says Abigail Lorden, VP / Publisher of HT and Co-Founder of RTN. “His expertise ensures our community remains connected and prepared for the future of hospitality.”
Kimpel is a renowned technology strategist specializing in operational technology, extended reality (XR), applied AI, and industry standards. In this fractional role, he brings a standards-first approach to innovation—a perspective honed through his involvement with RTN workgroups since the organization’s inception in 2019, actively contributing to open API initiatives, industry standards efforts, and cross-vendor technical alignment.
Kimpel will focus on advancing interoperability, shared data models, and practical technical guidance—ensuring emerging technologies like AI and XR can be adopted responsibly, at scale, and with measurable operational value.
Leading Standards Development & Adoption
Among his responsibilities, Kimpel will ensure that RTN's workgroups, technical documents, and standards efforts continue to align with industry needs. He will lead the development of several new resources, including a new RTN Standards Intelligence Library powered by large language models (LLMs), designed to convert RTN’s technical standards into a continuously evolving, queryable knowledge platform, supporting faster implementation, clearer vendor alignment, and future standards-based certification.
As RTN Technical Authority & Content Expert, Kimpel will work to ensure the accuracy and relevance of all published standards documentation and technical RTN content. He will assess the impact of AI on existing RTN Standards, leading member educational programs at events like MURTEC, while spearheading new member initiatives.
As a key representative of the community, Kimpel will partner with RTN leadership to ensure members are heard, that valuable connections are made, and that innovation is supported through RTN membership.
“RTN has always played a critical role in helping the restaurant industry work better together,” says Kimpel. “My focus in this role is to ensure our standards evolve alongside the realities of AI, data, and modern restaurant systems—making them more accessible, more actionable, and ultimately more valuable to RTN members.”
In addition, Kimpel serves as President & CEO of Magicgate, where he advises organizations on adopting scalable, interoperable emerging technologies across enterprise restaurant and hospitality environments. He also hosts The Tech Chef Podcast, exploring how AI, XR, and data are reshaping restaurant operations.
Hospitality Technology is the parent brand of the Restaurant Technology Network (RTN) (www.restauranttechnologynetwork.com), a membership community of restaurants and suppliers working together to solve industry challenges by shaping standards and sharing best practices. RTN has created the Open API Framework, Restaurant Technology Capabilities Framework, Restaurant Menu Synchronization Specification and more. All of the standards can be accessed on the RTN site under RTN Technical Guidance.
About Hospitality Technology
Hospitality Technology (HT) is the only multichannel brand dedicated to covering the role of information technology in improving business performance for both hotel and restaurant operators.
About EnsembleIQ
EnsembleIQ is the premier resource of actionable insights and connections powering business growth throughout the path to purchase. We help retail, technology, consumer goods, healthcare and hospitality professionals make informed decisions and gain a competitive advantage.
Media Contact:
Skip Kimpel
skimpel@ensembleiq.com
