Flarion Technologies
Flarion Technologies, a new company formed to commercialize a wireless data technology for Internet mobility market, announced that Matthew J. Desch has been appointed to a new seat on the company’s board of directors. Desch is chairman of Airspan Networks Inc. and former executive vice president and president of Global Service Providers for Nortel Networks Corp.
Red Jade
Red Jade Inc., a wireless entertainment start-up funded by Ericsson, has named co-founders Gunnar Tyrsing as chief executive officer and Fredrik Liliegren as president and chief content officer (CCO). Tyrsing, a wireless communications expert and vice president of Ericsson Business Innovation, Ericsson’s start-up development company, will be responsible for defining strategic goals, recruiting a seasoned management team, securing funding and overseeing strategic partnerships. Liliegren, an entertainment software industry veteran, co-founded Sweden’s most successful video game development house. As president of Red Jade, Liliegren will be responsible for daily company operations. As CCO, he will ensure the highest quality content is produced for Red Jade hardware and oversee ventures with leading video game developers, publishers and distributors.
Verizon
Kathy Koelle, vice president of sales for the business markets group at Verizon Communications, was named the company’s representative to the MultiMedia Telecommunications Association’s board of governors.
Qualcomm
Louis Lupin was promoted to general counsel at Qualcomm Inc., assuming responsibility for overseeing all legal aspects of intellectual property licensing, investment and commercial transactions, employment law, litigation and dispute resolution. Lupin joined Qualcomm as senior legal counsel and was later promoted to vice president of proprietary rights counsel and eventually senior vice president prior to his recent promotion.
Paradigm
Paradigm Advanced Technologies Inc. appointed Joseph Schembri as the new chief of engineering of its technology development and production subsidiary, PowerLoc Technologies Inc. Prior to joining Paradigm, Schembri was president of Tie Communications Research Inc., which designs and manufactures telecommunications equipment for international markets. Schembri also worked as a production engineer for Northern Telecom and as a systems engineer for Motorola Inc.
GKM
John Bucher has joined Gerard Klauer Mattison & Co., an institutional research and investment banking firm, as a vice president and research analyst covering the wireless communications industry. Bucher’s experience includes executive positions in the wireless, Internet and eLearning industries, including his most recent position as vice president at Private Investment Group in California, where he performed market research and analysis for seed and first-round funding deals. Bucher has been involved in the development, testing and operation of wireless data systems since 1988, including management positions with Bell Atlantic/Nynex Mobile and PrimeCo Personal Communications.
Alltel
Alltel named Scott Mann vice president and general manager of the area including New Orleans and Baton Rouge, La., which Alltel recently purchased from SBC Communications Inc. Mann, who has been with Alltel since 1992, was previously vice president and general manager for Alltel’s properties in central and east Texas.
Avanex
Avanex Corp. appointed Dr. Simon Cao chief technology officer with responsibility for all technical decisions at the company. Dr. Cao is one of the founders of Avanex and recently has served as senior vice president of product development. Before co-founding Avanex, Dr. Cao was a senior technical executive with E-TEK Dynamics and subsequently was vice president of marketing and sales with Oplink Communications.
Voice Mobility
Voice Mobility International Inc. named Robert Neal to its board of directors. Neal is president of Innovatia, Aliant Inc.’s e-business incubation company that designs, develops and sells Internet-based applications for service providers worldwide. Neal replaces Colin Corey as the nominee from Aliant, one of VMII’s early investors and its largest Canadian customer.
AirGate PCS
AirGate PCS Inc. announced that Barbara L. Blackford has joined the company as vice president, general counsel and secretary. Prior to joining AirGate, Blackford was associate general counsel with the Monsanto Co. in St. Louis, where she led the legal staff supporting mergers and acquisitions and managed the office of the corporate secretary.
Lobby7
Wireless consultancy Lobby7 appointed Herbert Williams vice president of corporate development. Williams will focus on strategic planning and the expansion of Lobby7’s business development initiatives. Williams joins Lobby7 with more than 12 years of telecommunications experience. Most recently, Williams was at Spyglass, now OpenTV, where as director of the wireless Internet practice, Williams drove strategic planning, business development and worldwide growth of its wireless Internet practice. At Spyglass, he developed and managed several strategic relationships and developed international distribution channels for the company’s wireless product offerings.
Hybrid Networks
Hybrid Networks named A. Allan Kurtze to its board of directors. Kurtze is president of National Integrated Services at Sprint Corp., where he oversees development and nationwide rollout of Sprint’s ION service.
Natcom
Natcom Inc. promoted Daron Wilson to director of business operations, a newly created position designed to tie all customer relations, including the company’s new Web-based tracking system, under a single authority. Wilson joins Natcom from Skytel. Natcom also announced it named Chuck Griffith to the new position of vice president of technical operations. Griffith has been with Natcom since 1989.
