HitCom Establishes Advisory Board
Charter Board Members Announced
ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 6, 1998--HitCom Corp. (NASDAQ/OTC:HICO - news), a facilities-based telecommunications company with headquarters in St. Louis, Monday announced that it has established an advisory board to counsel the company on matters related to domestic and international expansion and partnerships.
The founding members of the board include the Honorable Jack W. Buechner, a partner at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips based in Washington, D.C., and former U.S. congressman; Andreas O. Tobler, a managing director of Cornerstone Financial Corp. in New York and principal and officer of Online Capital GmbH, which has headquarters in Switzerland; and Kenneth G. Vonderahe, president of Fidelity Capital Corp., based in St. Louis.
''Establishing an advisory board is an important part of HitCom's growth strategy,'' aid Scott Beil, HitCom chairman, and Rajan Arora, HitCom president and chief executive officer, in a joint statement.
''We are extremely pleased to have individuals of this caliber working with HitCom Corp. Their combined knowledge and expertise is certain to give HitCom an advantage as we continue to expand our company and increase our international presence and market share.''
HitCom's advisory board recently held an organizational meeting in Toronto.
About The Honorable Jack W. Buechner
Buechner joined Manatt, Phelps & Phillips in late 1994 as a partner, representing a wide variety of domestic and international clients before Congress, executive-branch departments, independent agencies and quasi-governmental entities.
Much of Buechner's international work involved the strategic analysis of the political and economic climates in the world's emerging democracies.
Prior to joining Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, Buechner served two terms as the U.S. congressman from Missouri's 2nd District (St. Louis/ St. Charles counties). Buechner served in the Republican leadership as vice chairman of the Republican Study Committee, and as deputy whip to now-Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich.
He served on the Budget Committee, and the Committee on Science, Space and Technology. Before becoming a member of the U.S. Congress, Buechner served 10 years in the Missouri House of Representatives, as well as 20 years in the practice of law.
After leaving Congress in 1991, Buechner developed a vast array of parliamentary, party, executive and business contacts as the president of the International Republican Institute. IRI is a not- for-profit, nongovernmental organization that provides political, strategic and related training to emerging democracies.
During his term the IRI opened offices in six countries and developed programs on democracy and free-market economies in 28 others.
Buechner has served as visiting professor of political thought at Webster University in Vienna, Austria, represented the United States throughout the world at conferences on post-Cold War development and currently serves on the boards of directors of Cancer Treatment Holdings Inc. and Russian Wireless Telephone Co. Inc.
He has produced a public-television series on state government, and appeared on ABC's ''20/20'' and ''Nightline,'' and NBC's David Letterman show. Buechner also serves on the board of directors of the Former Members of Congress Association; is president of The Missouri Society of Washington, D.C.; and is the vice president of the National Association of State Societies.
About Andreas O. Tobler
Tobler serves as principal and officer of Online Capital GmbH, a private investment and financial advisory company with headquarters in Switzerland, and is the managing director for its 50 percent owned affiliate, Cornerstone Financial Corp. in New York.
Tobler has previously held positions including chief financial officer at a U.S. public company, as managing partner and head of investment banking for Royal Trust Bank (Switzerland) and as head of corporate finance for Citibank in Switzerland. Tobler also held the position of head of capital markets in North America for Credit Suisse, parent of CS First Boston.
Tobler holds a law degree from the University of Zurich, Switzerland, and a master's degree from New York University.
About Kenneth G. Vonderahe
Vonderahe has served as president and CEO of Fidelity Capital Corp. since 1986. Fidelity Capital provides investment-banking and management-consulting services to small- and medium-sized companies. Vonderahe has served as president, CEO and chief operating officer of both public and private companies in such industries as cable television, energy and environment.
He has also served on various public, private and not-for-profit boards of directors, including banking, health-care and higher- education institutions.
Vonderahe is a Certified Public Accountant, formerly with KPMG Peat Marwick, and holds a bachelor of science degree in business from the University of Missouri.
About HitCom
HitCom, with headquarters in St. Louis, is a facilities-based telecommunications company that provides enhanced communication services and technologies to businesses and consumers in the United States and Canada.
Specifically, HitCom focuses on designing, developing and marketing interactive-voice-response/voice-processing services, prepaid/postpaid phone cards and phone-card-platform services, Internet-connectivity services, IP telephony services and other emerging communications services.
HitCom markets its products and services through its subsidiaries, One Plus Marketing Inc., and its latest acquisition, Channel Telecom Inc.
HitCom is traded on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange OTC Bulletin Board under the symbol ''HICO.'' HitCom can be found on the World Wide Web at www.hitcom.com.
Statements contained in this news release regarding expected financial results and other planned events are forward-looking statements subject to uncertainties and risks, including, but not limited to, the demand for HitCom's products and services, and the ability of the company to successfully implement its strategies, each of which may be impacted by, among other things, economic, competitive or regulatory conditions.
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Contact:
HitCom Corp., St. Louis
Anthony W. Hitt, 314/231-1000, ext. 801
ahitt@hitcom.com |
