LAS VEGAS, NV--(Marketwire - Jul 11, 2011) - Opengear (www.opengear.com), provider of next generation console server and remote management solutions, announced today that Rick Stevenson will be its new CEO. Stevenson has previously worked with Opengear's founders while at several startups, including Stallion Technologies and SnapGear. He replaces Bob Waldie, who will become Opengear's Executive Chairman.
"The team at Opengear has built successful companies before. It is an exciting time for me to join Opengear because of Opengear's technological vision, their commitment to open source and, ultimately, their ability to control complex, distributed systems and networks," said Stevenson, new CEO of Opengear.
Stevenson previously served as CEO at SnapGear -- a leading developer of network security devices that was sold into McAfee -- where he served as a vice president of product development. He has also held senior roles at IBM, Secure Computing, Stallion Technologies and Pyramid Technology, as well as having been involved in several successful startup companies. He has Bachelors and Masters degrees in Computer Science from the University of Queensland and currently serves there as an Adjunct Professor in the School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering.
Now Executive Chairman at Opengear, co-founder Bob Waldie expressed how fortunate the company was to be able to attract a seasoned executive of Stevenson's caliber. "Rick has a deep technical knowledge in network security and embedded systems, and he's been a stalwart supporter of the FOSS community. He also has a breadth of commercial experience leading technology companies."
Opengear reported a 50% growth in North American revenues in 2010 and has added several new members to its executive ranks as the company increases global momentum:
- Dr. Brendan Baker, Manager of Business Development and Sales in Australia and New Zealand:
Baker recently joined Opengear and has more than 13 years' experience in the ICT sector, including roles in engineering and research. Brendan comes to Opengear from Queensland University of Technology (QUT) where he served as a research lab manager and researcher. He has held roles both as a visiting scholar at the T.J Watson IBM Research Center in New York, and as Professeur Invité at the Universite d'Avignon, France. Brendan also has extensive experience in the control and automation fields, having worked as a Software Engineer in the transport division at Invensys Rail and Foxboro Australia. He holds a PhD, and BE(Electronics)/BInfoTech from QUT. - Robert Waldie, Vice President Business Development in UK and Europe:
Waldie manages the Opengear UK operation and is responsible for technology partnering, channel development, marketing strategy, channel sales training and technical support there and in Europe. Prior to setting up the UK operation Robert led the Opengear software development team. Before Opengear, Waldie worked as a software engineer with Secure Computing / Cyberguard / Snapgear and BRDC developing embedded Linux security and network applications. Robert holds a BSc in Computer Science and a BA in Linguistics from the University of Queensland.
Opengear will be exhibiting at CiscoLive (July 10-14) in Las Vegas at booth 872. Rick Stevenson will be at the show talking to prospective partners and customers.
About Opengear
Opengear (http://www.opengear.com) develops enterprise-grade remote infrastructure management solutions. It designs and manufactures next generation console servers for secure remote access and control of routers, switches, servers, firewalls, uninterruptible power supplies, power distribution units and environmental monitoring devices. Opengear's open source platforms give network managers and system integrators the most flexible, extensible and secure remote management solution on the market today.