Executive appointment to strengthen current and future IS strategies
CALGARY, Alberta --- July 22, 2008 --- SMART Technologies announces the appointment of Mike Battistel to the position of vice president, information systems (IS). Battistel’s mandate is to plan, coordinate and oversee all IS activities and to provide strategic direction on the company’s information technology (IT) investments. He is based at SMART’s headquarters in Calgary, Canada, and reports to the vice president, finance and CFO, Susan Ruf.
Battistel brings 30 years of IT and international business experience to SMART. An accomplished professional, he has developed and implemented strategies and governance processes to align IT investments with corporate strategy. He has also developed complex business cases and negotiated outsourcing arrangements for numerous companies in the areas of infrastructure operations, software development and software support. Battistel moves to SMART from an executive role as vice president of IT and CIO at an international auction firm. He holds a degree in psychology and has just completed a two-year term on the board of the Chief Information Officers Association of Canada. He joins SMART at a time of high growth, when clear vision and strong leadership for the IS department will ensure the company’s continued success.
“I am excited to join to SMART at this time,” says Battistel. “The company’s product and solutions leadership, significant investment in its research and development activities, and strong global position presents interesting challenges and opportunities from an IS perspective, and I look forward to making a significant contribution to the company as it continues to grow.”
“As SMART expands globally, our IS function is charged with developing the systems, processes and solutions that support increasingly complex information delivery,” says SMART’s CEO, Nancy Knowlton. “Mike’s management capabilities and his many years of experience provide the depth that will ensure that IT delivers a significant advantage to the company.”
