IBS Boosts Its Americas Leadership Team with Several Key Appointments

ATLANTA, March 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- International Business Systems (STO: IBS B), the leading business application supplier for wholesale and distribution, announced today the appointment of several key executives to its North American operations following the strong year-end license revenue growth posted recently.

New license sales for the company grew 30% in 2009 over 2008, with the Americas growing overall license sales by 35%, a significant accomplishment in the current economic environment and quite contrary to the equivalent negative license growth of most other providers of business software applications. Furthermore, growth in new license sales of the core IBS Enterprise – IBS' Distribution Resource Management suite – grew at 49%, again markedly different to the negative growth of any other significant distribution application suppliers.

"The Americas has historically been a relatively small component of the overall IBS business," commented enterprise software veteran Andy Berry, who took the helm of IBS' Americas division at the beginning of 2009 as vice president of sales and marketing for the Americas. "That has now changed once and for all, with growth during 2009 far exceeding our expectations, and our future objectives for the region now being one of significant contribution to the IBS ecosystem."

To capitalize on the escalating demand for IBS solutions experienced during 2009, Berry has assembled a world-class team of seasoned professionals to drive the sales, marketing, consulting and services efforts in the Americas. The collection of executives includes Director of Business Consulting Donna Criswell, Vice President of Marketing Nicole Crowe, Vice President of Professional Services Bill Geist and Director of Customer Satisfaction John Bek. Criswell, Crowe and Geist have been recently recruited to the operation, while Beck, an 18-year veteran of IBS, has been promoted from within. Berry has also appointed other business leaders to help support both east and west coast operations.

Donna Criswell joins as Director of Business Consulting and will lead the pre-sales team. Specifically, she will focus on mapping business processes to prospects' needs and ensuring a seamless transfer for new clients entering solutions implementation. Criswell brings with her 20 years of distribution and ERP experience accumulated while working for software companies such as CA, Oracle, PeopleSoft and Lawson.

Nicole Crowe joins IBS as Vice President of Americas Marketing. A seasoned executive with an extensive background in the software industry, she will oversee brand strategy, industry communications and demand generation for the Americas. Crowe's global marketing and business development experience comes from roles at Manhattan Associates, S1 Corporation, MAPICS and SSA Global (now Infor).

Bill Geist, appointed Vice President of Professional Services for the Americas, is responsible for delivering on the IBS commitment to ensure customers gain maximum value from their investments as quickly as possible. Geist brings a wealth of knowledge in leading technology practices including stints with CDC Corporation, Application Partners, Headstrong, Scientific-Atlanta and Packaging Corporation of America.

John Bek, a former IBS customer and pre-sales consultant, assumes responsibility for a new organization dedicated to the cultivation of customer satisfaction and reference sites. As Director of Customer Satisfaction, Bek works directly with customers to help them realize maximum returns from their investments in IBS solutions. He commands a team of business and technical resources that can be applied as needed to identify, accelerate and measure customers' business results.

"Andy Berry's proven track record in recognizing customer needs and delivering solutions that exceed their expectations make him the ideal choice to grow the company's operations in the Americas," said CEO Mike Shinya, International Business Systems. "Andy has proven that the right leadership and the right focus deliver results, and now with this strong team in place, and under his stewardship, the IBS Americas business will be a very significant growth engine for the company."

About IBS

International Business Systems (IBS), the leading business application supplier for wholesale and distribution software helps companies differentiate themselves on the strength of their distribution operations.

Founded in 1978, IBS has over 30 years of experience in the distribution industries ranging from automotive and electronics to paper, publishing, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage. This deep understanding of distribution models and best practices is embodied within IBS Enterprise, a distribution resource management application suite on which thousands of the world's most successful companies now rely.

The IBS B share is listed on NASDAQ OMX First North Exchange Stockholm. For more information, please visit www.ibs.net.

SOURCE International Business Systems