CHICAGO (April 22, 2009) – Initiate Systems, Inc., a leader in data management solutions that enable information sharing and improve data quality, announced today that Bill Conroy, chief executive officer and president of the company, has been named a finalist for an Illinois Technology Association (ITA) CityLIGHTS award in the CEO of the Year category.
The CEO of the Year Award is presented to an individual contributing to the extraordinary business development of his or her technology company over the past year. Nominees are judged on the following criteria. He or she must:
• Lead a company with revenue growth and/or profitability that exceeds industry averages;
• Have a solid track record with longevity and persistence in his or her position;
• Demonstrate leadership and vision for his or her company;
• Exude personal character;
• Have strong customer relations and references; and
• Contribute to either the technology or charitable community.
Under Conroy’s leadership, Initiate has flourished financially in the face of tough economic times, earned a leadership position in vital national healthcare reform and won awards and recognition for its innovative technology and exceptional customer service. Perhaps the most striking testament to Conroy’s leadership are Initiate’s track record of year-over-year growth since he took the helm in 2002 and continual recognition by prominent industry analysts of the strength of the company’s management team.
“Last year, with Bill’s leadership our company achieved profitability, a positive cash flow and increased annual revenue more than 50 percent compared to the year prior,” said Dan Kossmann, chief financial officer of Initiate. “This breakthrough was achieved, in part, through the addition of 36 new customers in 2008 and, even as the economy worsened, we inked seven new customer contracts in the final quarter of the year, which will help spur Initiate’s continuing growth.”
ITA will present the awards, which honor outstanding information technology companies, executives and advocates in Illinois, to the winners at ITA’s 10th annual CityLIGHTS Gala on April 23 at Union Station in Chicago. All Illinois companies and executives are invited to attend the event, which is the largest gathering of technology executives in the state.
“Year after year, CityLIGHTS nominees continue to raise the bar,” said Fred Hoch, president of ITA. “We wish all of our finalists the best of luck as the votes of ITA members are counted and this year’s winner is chosen.”
ITA CityLIGHTS finalists are selected by a group of judges who represent various sectors of Illinois’ business community. ITA selected the judges based on their experience in the field and ability to fairly evaluate each entry.
About Initiate Systems
Initiate Systems enables organizations to confidently share critical data assets. Multinational corporations, healthcare organizations and government agencies rely on Initiate® software and services to deliver complete, accurate and real-time views of data spread across multiple systems, domains or databases. Initiate’s master data management (MDM) solutions facilitate interoperability, information sharing, entity resolution and data quality, which improve actionable intelligence to achieve increased revenues, reduced costs and mitigate risks. Initiate operates globally through its subsidiaries in Toronto, London and Sydney, with corporate headquarters in Chicago and offices across the United States. For more information, visit www.Initiate.com.
About the ITA
The Illinois Technology Association (ITA) represents the interests of a diverse membership of more than 550 companies in Illinois that create, deploy and utilize information technology as a core part of their organization. By connecting members with industry peers and participants, providing the latest strategic information, market research and critical market insight and by promoting key thought leaders to raise visibility and gain a greater market awareness and presence, ITA is focused on building and developing the Illinois technology community through collaboration. Additional information is available at www.illinoistech.org.
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