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News >> Technology >>
Medeiros appointed SonicWall President, CEO
By siliconindia
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Wednesday, 19 March 2003, 20:30 IST
SUNNYVALE: SonicWall Inc. (Nasdaq: SNWL) a provider of comprehensive Internet security solutions, announced on Tuesday that Matt Medeiros, former president and CEO of Philips Electronics' Components Division, has joined the company as president and chief executive officer.
Medeiros replaces interim CEO Bill Roach, who will continue with the company as a senior executive focused on driving continued operational improvements and customer satisfaction.
In addition, SonicWall also announced that Chuck Kissner, an independent Board member since July 2000, has been elected Chairman. Kissner succeeds founder Sreekanth Ravi, who will continue to serve on the Board of Directors.
"We are excited by the prospects of combining the company's technology leadership with Matt's proven ability to develop and grow strong businesses. SonicWALL has great technology and a history of great customers. In Matt we found an impressive combination of strong leadership skills, major customer relationship management experience, and a track record of successfully identifying and pursuing high-growth strategies while carefully managing and revitalizing company resources," said Sreekanth Ravi.
"Chuck Kissner is an experienced and capable Board member who, through his relationship with SonicWall, has a good understanding of our business. In addition, his independence fits well with the current trends in corporate governance," continued Ravi. Matt Medeiros also joins the Board.
SonicWALL's customers include small-, medium- and enterprise-class firms in a variety of industry segments, including education, healthcare, government, retail and hospitality.
"One of the most important business issues today, regardless of company size or industry sector, is information security," said Medeiros. "Growth in networks, the increasing complexity of network access points and the increasing volume of data transmissions across the Internet are driving unprecedented demands for Internet security. It is a very exciting prospect to be able to provide solutions that are so fundamentally critical to our customers. I am delighted to have the opportunity to help this company realize its potential."
Medeiros' first priorities will be to quickly evaluate SonicWALL's operations and strategy to ensure they are aligned for new growth and increased shareholder value.
"The key to this effort will be our ability to work in close collaboration with our channel and end customers in all of our markets and to identify and execute aggressive product and technology roadmaps that best meet their needs," said Medeiros.
In his former role as president and CEO of Philips Components, Medeiros was credited with being the driving force behind achieving scale and driving innovation-based solutions. As the chief architect of the liquid crystal display (LCD) joint venture between Philips Electronics and LG Electronics, Medeiros successfully secured a leadership position for Philips in flat displays. In the consumer electronics and mobile communications space, Medeiros funded initiatives that brought Philips' recent successes in the wireless networked home with products like the iPronto and the Philips MediaNode.
Prior to his role with Philips, Medeiros was vice president and general manager for the Optical Polymers Group, and vice president of business development for the Electronic Materials division of AlliedSignal. Medeiros also has extensive background in PC manufacturing, operations and materials management following executive positions at Radius, NeXT Computer and Apple Computer. Medeiros graduated from the University of San Francisco with a bachelor's degree in business administration in management science.