FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MobileSphere Expands Board of Directors
Boston, MA &ndash March 11, 2005 – MobileSphere, Ltd., a leading provider of global telecommunications solutions leveraging the migration from fixed to mobile telephony, announced today that the company has added John C. Belknap, James A. Berluti, Jean Francois Grenon and James J. Vanecko, Ph.D. to its Board of Directors. These highly experienced business executives will advise and lend expertise to the company in the areas of marketing, finance and strategic development.
John C. Belknap
John Belknap currently advises companies on business development, strategic value creation and the commercialization of proprietary technology. He is also the Non-Executive Chairman of eMerge Interactive, Inc. (Nasdaq:EMRG), a technology company serving the agricultural, foodservice and healthcare industries. Belknap’s diversified background includes over 20 years of CFO experience including postings at two Fortune 500 companies, Richfood Holdings and OfficeMax. John began his career at Ernst & Young in New York and holds an MBA from Cornell University.
James A. Berluti
James Berluti is President and CEO of Eastern Connection, Inc., the largest regional express parcel carrier on the East Coast. Berluti was one of the original founders of Eastern Connection in 1983. Prior to starting Eastern Connection, Berluti was the New England Sales Manager for Sky Courier International. In 1995, he was a keynote speaker at the courier industry's largest conference sponsored by Courier Magazine, and in 1996 Berluti was also a featured speaker at Inc. World in Boston. A 1978 graduate of Boston University, Jim holds a BS in Communications and is a member of the Board of Overseers, Boston.
Vincent J. DiMento
Vincent DiMento is a partner in the law firm of DiMento & Sullivan in Boston , Massachusetts concentrating in corporate, commercial and real estate law for over 20 years. DiMento also serves as Vice President and Treasurer for MobileSphere. DiMento has been and is currently business counsel and in many instances, a partner, officer or director of several ongoing business establishments in the Metropolitan Boston area.
Jean Francois Grenon
Jean Francois Grenon has more than 20 years experience in the wireless space. Grenon is currently a Managing Partner at NexTFund Capital, a leading French venture capital and private equity firm (www.nextfund-capital.com). Previously, Grenon was Co-Founder CEO of Vectrad Networks, a venture-backed fixed-wireless technology company. Prior to that, Grenon was Chairman and CEO of Innova Corporation, a company he listed on the NASDAQ in 1999. Following its merger with DMC, Grenon ran the new division which exceeded $200 million in annual revenues. Jean Francois graduated from the Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Gavin B. Macomber
Gavin Macomber is Co-Founder & EVP of Marketing & Business Development for MobileSphere. Macomber is responsible for overall sales, marketing, and business development at MobileSphere. Macomber was previously head of marketing & business development at Moltium/ConeXus. With over 10 years of business development and marketing experience, including 6 years in the telecommunications industry, Macomber has held comparable positions with companies such as Genuity, AltiComm, GBM Communications, and IZZO Systems. Gavin received an MBA from Babson College's F.W. Olin School of Management and earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Bucknell University.
Toufic Mobarak
Toufic Mobarak is Co-Founder, President & CTO for MobileSphere. Mobarak is responsible for strategic direction, technology development and deployment, and the day-to-day operations of the business. Mobarak previously served as President of Moltium/ConeXus, a telecommunications service provider he co-founded in 1995. At Moltium/ConeXus, Mobarak oversaw the technology development and operations, growing revenue to $5 million in 2000. Prior to launching ConeXus, Mobarak held several international managerial positions at GTE in strategy and corporate planning. Toufic received his bachelor's and master's degrees in international economics from Sorbonne in Paris , France , and a master’s degree in business administration from Thunderbird's American School of International Management.
James J. Vanecko, Ph.D
James Vanecko currently advises early-stage technology ventures on strategic marketing, financing and organizational development. Vanecko was most recently President and Chief Marketing Officer of AltiComm, a Boston-based telecommunications service provider and, prior to that, CEO of Advanced Interactive Marketing (AIM). Previously, Vanecko was in charge of marketing for John Hancock Financial Services. Vanecko has taught in the graduate schools of the University of Illinois (Chicago), Brown University, and Harvard University.
"We are very pleased to announce the additions of John Belknap, James Berluti, Jean Francois Grenon and James Vanecko to MobileSphere's Board of Directors," said Toufic Mobarak, President of MobileSphere. "All four of these individuals bring unique expertise to the company in the areas of finance, marketing, wireless technology and product development."
"I am delighted to be associated with MobileSphere," said John C. Belknap. "Its flexible web-based platform and proven CellularLD™ technology occupy a unique niche in a rapidly transforming industry. It is an imaginative, fast-paced company that is successfully leveraging its innovative platform by entering new markets. I look forward to contributing to its efforts."
"I am extremely excited to be involved with MobileSphere and its unique solution for international wireless communications services," said Jim Berluti. "I look forward to working with this experienced and capable management team."
"MobileSphere is uniquely positioned in the worldwide telecommunications industry, providing value to many companies engaged in the wireless services market," said James Vanecko, Ph.D. "There are so many new market opportunities for MobileSphere and its partners. It's a win-win situation all around."
About MobileSphere
MobileSphere, Ltd. is a leading provider of global telecommunications solutions leveraging the migration from fixed to mobile telephony. MobileSphere serves large enterprise, universities, telecommunication service providers, and consumers. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, and with office locations in Los Angeles and Paris, MobileSphere provides a suite of advanced telecommunications solutions, including CellularLD™, the company's innovative wireless international long distance service. Utilizing MobileSphere's proprietary, softswitch-based technology, the company also provides its provisioning and billing platform to telecommunications carriers and service providers.
Contact
Toufic Mobarak
President
MobileSphere, Ltd.
toufic@mobile-sphere.com
617.399.9980 x104