Aricent Group Appoints Frank Kern as Chief Executive Officer

Former IBM veteran to take the helm at innovation and technology services provider

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Oct 08, 2012, 01:15 ET

EAST BRUNSWICK, N.J. and BANGALORE, India, Oct. 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Aricent Group® today announced the appointment of Frank Kern, a veteran of IBM, as Chief Executive Officer ("CEO"), effective immediately. He will succeed current CEO Sudip Nandy, who will be transitioning to a new role as the Aricent Group's Chairman of India and will be based in Bangalore, India.

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"The Aricent Group has been a fantastic growth story, and we are grateful to Sudip for his leadership. We are equally thrilled that Frank Kern will be leading the Aricent Group in its next phase of development and growth. Frank brings with him an outstanding track record of leading and growing global businesses, and taking them from one level to the next. We are confident that he is a perfect fit to keep up the momentum that has made the Aricent Group a partner of choice for its clients and to build upon the company's successes to date," Jamie Greene, Member of KKR, and a member of the Aricent Group Board of Directors, said.

The Aricent Group is a global innovation and technology services company that helps clients to imagine, commercialize, and evolve products and services for the connected world. The company has more than 11,000 employees at 37 locations worldwide, and its clients include leading network equipment manufacturers, mobile device manufacturers, service providers, as well as innovative companies in industry verticals propelled by connectivity, such as finance, media and entertainment, healthcare, and automotive.

During Mr. Nandy's tenure as CEO, the Aricent Group has grown rapidly. Under his leadership, the company has grown revenues and profits, and the Aricent Group revenue is now double the size since when it was formed in September 2006. In addition, the company expanded its operations globally and increased its employee base by nearly 3,500 people under Mr. Nandy's leadership.

Mr. Kern retired from IBM earlier this year after a distinguished career that included senior roles around the globe, including Australia, China, Japan, Europe, as well as New York and California in the USA. Most recently, he served as Senior Vice President of Global Business Services, a role in which he managed all aspects of global operations for this $19 billion global consulting division with 110,000 employees.

"I'm honored to join the Aricent Group at such an exciting time. Aricent is an amazing company with the best talent you can find. The design and innovation work by frog is without parallel, and the engineering skills that exist in Aricent for the connected world are unique and special. The company plays a critical role in building and sustaining networks and devices that support mobile communications and create new ways for people to interact through technology. The Aricent Group has a great foundation, thanks to the work of Sudip and his team, and a terrific future. I look forward to working with the team to continue the company's tradition of providing outstanding value and innovative services to its clients and helping them succeed," said Mr. Kern.

Mr. Nandy will be returning to India to serve in a newly created position as Chairman of India. In this role, he will support the Aricent Group's growing business operations in India.

"Aricent is a company with unique capabilities. We help clients pursue successful innovation and create cutting-edge products in a connected world. I have enjoyed shaping the Aricent Group where we combine the best engineering and innovation services both globally and locally," said Mr. Nandy.

About Frank Kern

Frank Kern has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Aricent Group, effective October 8, 2012 and will also join the Aricent Group Board of Directors.

Mr. Kern had a long career starting in sales and continuing in positions of increasing responsibility with the IBM Corporation. In his most recent role, he led Global Business Services, a $19 billion business unit with 110,000 employees that encompassed consulting, systems integration, and application capabilities, and supported clients around the world in all major industries. Prior to that position, he served as Senior Vice President of Global Sales and Distribution, leading IBM's worldwide sales organization, with responsibility for over $100 billion of corporate revenues as well as client satisfaction in 170 countries.

Mr. Kern was located in Shanghai, China, and Tokyo, Japan, where he led the Asia Pacific region from 2003 through early 2008. Before his work in Asia, Mr. Kern was located in Paris, France, from 1998 through 2003, and managed the operations of IBM's Global Business Services unit for Europe, Middle East & Africa. From 1995 through 1997, he served as Chief Executive Officer of IBM Global Services in Australia.

Mr. Kern is a graduate of Bucknell University and received an MBA degree from Syracuse University.

About the Aricent Group

The Aricent Group is a global innovation and technology services company that helps clients imagine, commercialize, and evolve products and services for the connected world. Bringing together the communications technology expertise of Aricent with the creative vision and user experience prowess of frog, the Aricent Group provides a unique portfolio of innovation capabilities that seamlessly combines consumer insights, strategy, design, software engineering, and systems integration. The client base includes communications service providers, equipment manufacturers, independent software vendors, device makers, and many other Fortune 500 brands. The company's roster of clients includes Alcatel-Lucent, Cisco, Disney, GE, HP, Nokia Siemens Networks, and many others: companies that rely on the deep communications expertise of Aricent, as well as the capabilities of leading design and innovation firm frog, a strategic business unit of the Aricent Group. The company's investors are affiliates of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P., Sequoia Capital, The Family Office, Delta Partners, and The Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board.

Web site: http://www.aricent.com

Twitter: @aricent

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/aricent

SOURCE Aricent Group