AVESAIR NAMES FORMER ORACLE AND BRITISH TELECOMMUNICATIONS EXECUTIVE AS NEW CEO
Ernie Connon to lead Avesair in global expansion
Research Triangle Park, N.C., and London - July 17, 2001 - Avesair, a leading provider of carrier-class mobile application software, has named Ernie Connon, formerly of Oracle Corporation and British Telecommunications plc, as its new Chief Executive Officer. Connon will oversee the strategic direction of the company as it continues to enhance and grow its technology offerings and partnership deals. His years of global experience will also help guide Avesair’s plans for international expansion in Europe, Asia-Pacific and Latin America. Connon brings to Avesair over 27 years of experience in both the telecommunications and technology industries. He has enjoyed success at both large corporations and start-up software companies. Most recently, Connon was group vice president, global CRM solutions at Oracle Corporation, where he was responsible for global customer relationship management sales and deployment arrangements with customers across all of Oracle’s divisions. While at Oracle, he and his team helped secure major relationships with some of Oracle’s most prestigious clients, including British Telecommunications, Cisco, Hewlett-Packard, Citibank and Telefonica de Argentina, amongst others. "From the earliest days when Avesair was founded it had always been the intent that we would find and recruit a world-class CEO, and we found one in Ernie," said Kimo Kong, founder of Avesair. "We are all very excited that Ernie has chosen to join our team, and are confident that his experience will help Avesair accelerate its growth and expand its global position." Connon began his career with BT plc, where he oversaw a number of management disciplines, including product management, market management, direct marketing, and operational consulting. He spent over 17 years at BT before moving on to other endeavors, including the development of successful start-up companies such as NPRI Inc., a call center solutions company, and Versatility Inc., a customer interaction solutions provider, which was acquired by Oracle in 1998. While at NPRI and Versatility, Connon oversaw worldwide sales, marketing and strategic planning for the companies, establishing a strong track record of global expansion and profitability. "I am extremely excited to join Avesair as the company continues to roll-out its proven technology into markets all over the world,” said Connon. "Both the U.S. and international wireless markets are very dynamic and offer significant potential for mobile operators and the companies that help them service their customer base. My goal is to provide Avesair with a vision for the future as we continue to grow and enhance our product offerings, providing operators everywhere with the best possible solutions to help them attract and retain subscribers.” "Ernie’s background with both telecommunications carriers and successful software companies provides Avesair with a unique opportunity to draw on his skills and experience," said Peter Buhl, partner, Nokia Venture Partners. "Ernie will ensure that Avesair maintains its leadership position and continues to grow as an innovator in the international wireless marketplace." About Avesair |
