News out:
Net Shepherd Hires David Herman As CEO Of New Business Intelligence
Company
Calgary, Alberta –
Dun & Bradstreet's Partner for Global Business Development to join Net Shepherd
Net Shepherd Inc. (ASE: WEB) today announced that David Herman will head up its new business intelligence operation. Mr Herman is leaving Dun & Bradstreet, where he is Partner for Global Business Development and has been deeply involved in developing Internet strategies for D&B.
"This is a critical step forward on the route that we have planned for Net Shepherd", said President & CEO Don Sandford. "In the Roadmap that we issued last August, we wrote of our intention to set up US-based companies that use different applications of our unique combination of technology, people and an Internet-derived database of commercial information. The Business Intelligence company is a key party of this strategy and David's appointment is a crucial step in the setting of up of this company."
"David brings an impressive track record of relevant expertise to the role", continued Sandford. "He has twenty years experience in business intelligence. He was among the first to see the commercial potential of the Internet and launched one of the world's first commercial websites, way back in 1993. He has recently helped lead the development of eccelerate.com, D&B's global e-commerce operation. His track record shows that he knows how to scale ideas and grow businesses. He has the strategic grasp, the understanding of business relationships and the contacts that will be needed to make this business grow."
"I'm very excited to be joining Net Shepherd for this venture", said David Herman. "The business model we're using has already been proven to work in the market place, so it's a matter of scaling up something that we know already works."
"The commercial potential of this is enormous", commented Sandford. "The leading US Internet analyst company Forrester estimated earlier this year that the on-line business intelligence market will be worth $11 billion within five years. We will be extremely competitive in this market. As we explained in our Roadmap, our work has already proved that it is possible to collect highly accurate information on companies at a fraction of the cost of traditional methods. In a demonstration project, 200,000 pieces of information were collected from corporate websites in only three days. Compared with traditional methods, this was achieved at a tenth of the cost and in a tenth of the time and with better quality. This will transform the economics of the business intelligence industry."
"David Herman's decision to join us is another indication of this operation's potential", concluded Sandford. "He brings a wealth of high quality experience in the business intelligence market and I am sure that he will play the defining role in building this operation."
Background Notes:
Recent highlights of David Herman's career:
As Partner of Global Business Development, he was part of the executive team that created a subsidiary that has developed global electronic commerce solutions for Dun & Bradstreet. He developed a business plan that resulted in funding commitment for the firm. He acquired and equipped headquarters office in Silicon Alley and hired key personnel for relationship management. He also negotiated key global channel agreements in support of the proof of concept test.
Before this, he was the Director, Global Marketing Organization, from late 1996 to October 1998. In this role, he developed the corporate strategy for electronic commerce, including the management of key alliances in the digital certification, directory and registration markets. He also developed the data collection program for Internet data.
From 1993 to 1996, he worked as the Director - Electronic Commerce, where he successfully led the development and deployment of one of the first commercial sites on the Internet. This team was the first in the industry to interactively develop and deliver products over the Internet using secure web servers.
His Awards, Presentations and Papers include:
* 1991 and 1993 – Received Chairman's "Customer First" award.
* 1993 – one of seven people selected as Change Agents by the President.
* Provided staff and leadership to standards bodies including Internet Society (1994 - 1998), CommerceNet (1993 - 1997), National Information Infrastructure Testbed (1993 - 1995), and Internet Engineering Task Force (1994 - 1997).
* 1997 – Presented White Paper on Governance in Electronic Commerce and consulted with Department of Commerce on key issues.
* 1994 - 1998 – Regular speaker at electronic commerce conferences globally, participating in forums in China, Europe and the United States.
He was educated at the Wayne State University, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology in 1979. He and his wife Julie have three children and they live in Pennsylvania. His leisure interests include reading about the new economy, investing, mountain biking and golf.
About Net Shepherd:
Net Shepherd's technology helps companies that want to transform the way they do business and create new opportunities using the Internet. It is a leading provider of Internet-based community solutions to provide the gathering of information and the management of work at the speed of the Internet.
Net Shepherd develops, partners with and invests in companies that use this technology in a variety of different applications.
Net Shepherd Inc. is traded on The Alberta Stock Exchange under the symbol WEB. |
