ACADEMIA

CONCORD, MA—SolidWorks founder and CEO Jon Hirschtick has decided to assume a new role as group executive for SolidWorks and its parent company Dassault Systèmes (DS) S.A. (Nasdaq: DASTY, Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY.PA). Hirschtick will also continue in his role as a member of the board of directors of SolidWorks. Chief Operating Officer John McEleney has been promoted to the CEO position effective immediately. McEleney is a five-year SolidWorks veteran who built the company’s profitable partnership and subscription service programs and its Pacific Rim sales channel. Bernard Charlès, president of DS commented, “John McEleney’s impressive track record as COO positions him as a logical choice for the CEO position. Jon Hirschtick’s remarkable accomplishment of leading the mid-range mechanical design software market will continue to contribute to the group’s expansion. DS continues to successfully evolve the careers of its key managers, putting the right people into the right roles to continue to manage the rapid growth and success of our companies at all phases of their development. Our ambitious goal is to see SolidWorks reach one million users and make 3D accessible to all. With these new roles, the SolidWorks team is optimally positioned to achieve this milestone.” Hirschtick, 39, founded SolidWorks in 1993 to develop computer-aided design (CAD) software powerful enough for complex design engineering processes, but inexpensive and simple enough to run on desktop computers. Hirschtick is handing over a company largely untouched by the recession, with strong financials and a customer base of more than 160,000 users. SolidWorks is the leading provider of Windows-based 3D CAD, and has since grown into one of the three biggest CAD software developers with more than $100 million expected in 2001 revenues. The company is coming off a strong Q3 ‘01 in which it grew 29 percent (31 percent in Euros). New users accounted for 70 percent of the company’s revenues last quarter. DS bought SolidWorks in 1997, and has since maintained it as an autonomous unit. DS will continue to leverage the company’s autonomy, to create a highly focused multi-brand group, with dedicated channels for each market segment. “My decision to assume this new role is driven by two key factors: my personal and family situation and my desire to best position our management team to continue to achieve the phenomenal success that our company has experienced over the last eight years,” said Jon Hirschtick. “I am delighted to see John McEleney, my long-term partner in building SolidWorks and a great business leader, named as our new CEO. With these new roles, John and I are now best positioned to continue to drive the success of SolidWorks for years to come and continue to extend the leadership of the DS Group.” CEO-designate McEleney established some of SolidWorks most successful initiatives over the last few years. He has both mechanical engineering and software business development experience gained from a 17-year technology career. McEleney came to SolidWorks as vice president of Far East distribution in 1996 and built the company’s first sales channel in that part of the world. He developed the strategy for the company’s Solution Partner Program, which has grown to more than 300 certified partners in a variety of industries and boosted the company’s revenues. As vice president of product marketing, he developed the product marketing team, which has helped position the company into its current lead role in the mid-range CAD market. McEleney also played a key role in creating SolidWorks’ Subscription Services, a recurring revenue stream that nets the company more than $30 million annually. As COO, McEleney led SolidWorks’ operations, from marketing and sales to order administration and customer support. McEleney holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Rochester, a master’s degree in manufacturing systems engineering from Boston University, and a master’s in business administration from Northeastern University.