Craig Richardson appointed Chief Executive of Jade
JADE SOFTWARE CORPORATION NEWS RELEASE
22 January 2009
Craig Richardson appointed Chief Executive of
Jade Software
The Board of Jade Software Corporation (Jade) is delighted to announce that it has appointed Craig Richardson as the new Chief Executive of the company.
Craig currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer of Coca-Cola Amatil for New Zealand and Fiji, with revenue of more than $500 million per annum, as well as being responsible for heading their Vending Management Services technology business worldwide. The Board made its choice after an extensive international search following the appointment of Dr Rod Carr to the role of Vice Chancellor of the University of Canterbury.
Jade’s Chairman, the Hon Ruth Richardson, said, “We believe Craig has the credentials and the character to be an outstanding Chief Executive of Jade. His extensive business experience equips him to capitalise on the opportunities that exist for our world-class products and services and lead a company renowned for having some of the finest technical minds in the industry.”
Craig has previously held positions of responsibility with New Zealand Steel, Vodafone in Australia and Sweden, Cable & Wireless Optus and BHP. In these roles, he has been responsible for finance, business development, mergers and acquisitions, investor relations, account management and major projects including company integration, systems implementation and process improvement.
Mr Richardson will join the company on Monday, 23 March 2009. In the interim, the Board has appointed Jade’s Chief Financial Officer, David Lindsay, to be the Acting Chief Executive.
Craig completed his Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of Tasmania in 1993 and his MBA at Deakin University in 2003. Aged 37, he is an Australian citizen who now calls New Zealand home. A family man, he is married to a New Zealander, Victoria who has strong family connections with Christchurch. They have three young children.
Craig is President of CPA Australia in New Zealand and a member of the Institute of Directors in New Zealand. He is on the Board of the Motor Neurone Disease Association of New Zealand, and has been a volunteer mentor with Business Mentors New Zealand since 2005. On the sporting side, he is involved in sailing, cycling and basketball.
Craig Richardson said, “I am very much looking forward to taking up this role. Jade is recognised internationally as a leading technology by smart companies. Having a deep knowledge of some of the world’s most successful businesses, I recognise the competitive advantage Jade’s people and technology can bring to these companies.”
“Our forward strategy will expand on that followed very successfully by Jade under Dr Carr. I believe there are significant opportunities to accelerate growth by clearly articulating why Jade is different and becoming the source of our customers’ innovation. This is a very good company with all the qualities to become a great company.”
Ruth Richardson said, “The Board is delighted to be able to appoint a candidate of Craig’s calibre and look forward to working with him as he takes on the leadership of a proud and profitable New Zealand technology company. And, in case anyone was wondering, despite us sharing the same surname, we are not related.”
ENDS
ABOUT JADE SOFTWARE CORPORATION
Jade Software Corporation is a specialist technology
services company with more than 30 years experience in
helping organisations quickly respond to business, customer
and supplier demands.
We create targeted solutions that enable responsive businesses to rapidly manage specific and complex information requirements. By combining our expertise and agile development methodology, we’ve enabled customers worldwide to deliver business-critical information that provides strategic impact with the reliability and robustness that comes from a mainframe computing heritage.
More than 3,000 organisations across Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific use Jade solutions to manage their specific information requirements. Our customers span multiple sectors, including logistics, shipping, finance and insurance, national security, health, education, human resource management, and enterprise risk assessment.
A privately owned New Zealand based company, Jade has offices in New Zealand, Australia, the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. For more information visit: www.jadeworld.com