Global Graphics Appoints CEO
By Graphic Arts Online Staff -- Graphic Arts Online, June 24, 2008
Centreville, VA--Global Graphics SA has appointed Gary Fry, formerly the managing director of Adobe Systems Benelux, as chief executive officer.
Mr Fry (39) replaces Jim Freidah who has resigned from the Company's board of directors having served as chief executive officer since April 2007 and chief operating officer since July 1999. During his early period as chief operating officer Mr. Freidah steered the company through a series of strategic acquisitions to strengthen the company's product portfolio, notably in digital print and PDF document technologies. Subsequently he transformed the Company into the streamlined organisation it is today.
Mr Fry will be tasked with taking the Company in a new strategic direction.
He has worked for Adobe Systems since 2001, initially as sales and marketing director for Accelio, a provider of web-enabled electronic forms, before it was acquired by Adobe. In 2002 he was appointed sales director enterprise UK and then EMEA before being appointed managing director, enterprise, Northern Europe in 2004. He was promoted to managing director of Adobe Systems Benelux in 2005. Prior to joining Adobe Mr Fry held various sales and management positions in the IT industry including European sales manager for Catalyst Solutions, a leading provider of enterprise-wide IT solutions, head of industrial support sales for Oracle, and a nine-year period with IBM, initially in engineering and then in sales.
Johan Volckaerts, chairman of Global Graphics' board of directors
commented: "Jim Freidah has navigated Global Graphics very successfully through periods of great change and has created a well-structured, high-performing organisation. The Company is now ready to enter a new phase. Gary Fry has the skills and experience to re-orientate the Company, bringing a fresh approach to our customers, markets and products. He has a track record of increasing business performance and profitability and his background in engineering and strategic sales also makes him highly qualified to take the company through its next phase of development. We are delighted to welcome him to the board."
With a background in electronic engineering, Mr Fry holds an MBA (MSc) from Reading University and a Diploma in company direction from the UK Institute of Directors. He is a keen yachtsman and sits on the main board committee of the Royal Ocean Racing Club, organisers of the Commodores Cup, Fastnet and Sevenstar races among others.
