MetraTech's outside directors have a proven track record of working with high technology leaders in the billing, telecommunications, media & entertainment and financial services markets to create industry pioneering public companies.
Jim Swartz, Chairman
Jim is a founder of Accel Partners. He has served as a Director of over fifty successful companies and has been closely involved as lead investor in the emergence of numerous industry pioneering public firms, including Avici Systems, BroadBand Technologies, FastForward/Inktomi, FVC.COM, Medical Care America, Netopia, PictureTel, Polycom, Remedy, Riverbed and Ungermann-Bass. His current private company directorships include Gen3 Partners, Ingenuity, RGB Networks and Transera. Long active in industry affairs, he is a past Chairman of the National Venture Capital Association and the 2007 recipient of its Lifetime Achievement Award. (www.accel.com)
Bob Crowley, Director
Bob is co-founder and managing partner of The Mustang Group, a Boston-based private equity firm focused on small middle market transactions. Crowley’s career began as an operator spanning a decade each in media (cable television), telecommunications and software, serving primarily the financial services sector (brokers, banks, multi-nationals and insurance). Prior to founding Mustang, Bob was the managing director of Safeguard Scientific's [NYSE:SFE] software portfolio where he lead the technology operating company's strategy, acquisition and partner company management for software properties. Crowley was the former president and CEO of Bowstreet, the Web services pioneer in software automation, from 1999 to 2001. Prior to Bowstreet, Bob was the President and CEO of ArborText, the leading enterprise e-Content management system for the Web. Prior to joining Arbortext, Bob led business development, sales and international operations at Kenan Systems, a leading convergent customer care, billing, and analysis software supplier to wireline, wireless, cable television, and e-Commerce providers. During Bob's two year tenure, the company grew from $15 million in revenues to $120 million. In January 1999, Kenan was sold to Lucent for $1.4 billion. Bob also led business development at CableData, the largest software and billing fulfillment provider to the cable television market. During his tenure, the company grew four-fold, serving over 35 million global subscribers. He began his media and communications career as a general manager for a top 20 multiple system operator (MSO), American Cablesystems. Bob began his career at Martin-Marietta Aerospace in Bethesda, MD. (www.mustanggroup.com)
Zenas Hutcheson, Director
Zenas is a senior managing partner at Vesbridge Partners, LLC and is focused on investments in communications companies. Prior to joining Vesbridge in 1998, he was an active board member or interim manager with numerous technology companies, including CAECO, PictureTel, Concord Data Systems, Natural Microsystems, Multilink and Vivo Software. In 1981, Zenas founded Hutcheson & Co., Inc. (originally Daly, Hutcheson & Co.) to provide strategy consulting, investment banking, and interim management services to early stage technology companies. He also held positions at the Bank of New York and at Bain & Company, an international management consulting firm. His current company directorships include Aravox Technologies, Crescent Networks, Granite Systems, Natural Microsystems, Octave Communications, Pingtel, and StarBridge Technologies. (www.vesbridge.com)
Les Strauss, Director
Les Strauss is a retired senior financial executive with an extensive background in high technology companies. Les retired in 1997 from the position of Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Secretary at PictureTel Corporation a market leader in video-conferencing equipment. He was CFO for seven years when PictureTel grew from $20 Million in revenues to $480 Million. Prior to joining PictureTel in 1990, Les served as a senior executive in various high technology firms including; Camex Corporation a privately held venture backed company that was purchased by Dupont Corporation; The Adler Group a New York based Venture Capital firm; two subsidiaries of Canada Development Corporation of Toronto, Canada; and Digital Equipment Corporation. Les served on the board several venture backed start ups including UUNET Technologies until it merged with Metropolitan Fiber Systems which subsequently merged with WorldCom Corporation. Les received his received an undergraduate degree in Chemistry from The Citadel, an MBA from Columbia University and a Masters Degree in Accounting from Bentley College.