Navision Co-Founder Jesper Balser to join Openbravo Board of Directors
– As open source ERP becomes mainstream, market leader adds industry visionary to Board –
Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, Massachusetts (February 02, 2009) – Openbravo, the leading developer of web-based open source Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Point of Sale (POS) solutions for businesses, has announced Jesper Balser, Co-Founder and former CEO of Navision, to join its Board of Directors.
Mr. Balser has played a key role in shaping the global ERP market for small and midsized businesses. He has been actively involved in Openbravo’s business for the last six months and in his new role on the Board he will continue to provide guidance on strategic as well as operational issues.
In 1985, Mr. Balser co-founded Navision and served as the company’s CEO for 18 years. During that time, Navision grew to become a leading worldwide ERP software provider for small and midsized businesses. Mr. Balser took Navision public in 1999 and continued to lead the company until it was acquired by Microsoft in 2002. After the acquisition Mr. Balser served as Head of Global Strategy at Microsoft Business Solutions, a position he left 18 months later to pursue other interests as an investor and entrepreneur.
Jesper Balser said, “The open source space is maturing and Openbravo is in the perfect position to challenge the established ERP players in the SMB market. I am impressed by the very high quality of the people at Openbravo and the drive to win, which reminds me of my time at Navision.”
Manel Sarasa, CEO of Openbravo, said, “Working closely with Jesper is an important step for us in building Openbravo’s position as a leader in the ERP market. We have much to gain from his expertise, drive and insight, including his impressive track record in developing and executing the channel strategy for Navision.”
Source: OpenBravo