Absolute Software the industry standard for persistent endpoint security and management solutions for computers, laptops, tablets and smartphones, announced today the addition of Gerhard Watzinger, Art Mesher, and Josef Vejvoda to the management-proposed slate of nominee directors for the Company's forthcoming annual general meeting of shareholders to be held on December 8, 2014.

"Absolute Software is leading the development of a rapidly emerging IT category; one that represents the congruence of mobility, security, and cloud computing – challenges faced globally by organizations today," said Geoff Haydon, Chief Executive Officer at Absolute Software. "I am extremely pleased to welcome Gerhard, Art, and Josef, to the proposed slate of nominee directors. The depth of industry experience represented by these nominees will be invaluable to Absolute as we execute our plan to accelerate growth, and strengthen our position as an Information Security market leader."

Mr. Gerhard Watzinger

  • Served as Chief Strategy Officer and Executive Vice President at McAfee, where he was responsible for guiding McAfee's global business strategy and development; including mergers and acquisitions.
  • Was Chief Executive Officer of SafeBoot (acquired by McAfee in 2007); a leading enterprise security software vendor for data encryption, user authentication, and endpoint security.
  • Grew SafeBoot from a small, owner-operated company to an internationally recognized IT security firm with Fortune 500 customers in more than 70 countries.
  • Serves on a number of Boards, including Chairman of Crowdstrike, a global provider of security technology and services.

Mr. Art Mesher

  • Served as Chairman and CEO of The Descartes Systems Group Inc.; leading the creation of the first on-demand logistics network that provides application and communication capabilities. 
  • Viewed as a pioneer in harnessing the integration of business communities.
  • Considered one of the founders of SaaS networks and cloud computing.
  • Launched the Integrated Logistics Strategies Services practice at Gartner Group Inc., a leading technology research and advisory firm, and built it into one of the premiere advisors to major global corporations.

Mr. Josef Vejvoda

  • President of Jove Capital Inc., a boutique financial services and investment firm that provides strategic advisory services to a broad range of clients.
  • Over twenty years of extensive capital markets experience.
  • Served in senior management roles at a number of the country's largest financial institutions including Merrill Lynch Canada, the Bank of Montreal, National Bank Financial and TD Bank Financial Group.

"Each of the new Board nominees brings a strong foundation of financial acumen, public company operating experience and a track record in building successful enterprise software companies," stated Dan Ryan, Chairman at Absolute Software. "I look forward to working with them as we develop and execute strategies to support the Absolute business and increase shareholder value."

With these new additions, the proposed slate of nominee directors for election at the upcoming annual meeting of shareholders will consist of Mr. Daniel P. Ryan, Mr. Eric Rosenfeld, Mr. Gregory Monahan, Mr. J. Ian Giffen, Mr. Sal Visca, Mr. Gerhard Watzinger, Mr. Art Mesher, Mr. Josef Vejvoda, and Mr. Geoff Haydon.