INDUSTRY

The Linux Networx board of directors today announced the appointment of Robert H. “Bo” Ewald as chief executive officer (CEO). Bernard Daines will continue as chairman of the board while Dean Hutchings remains as president and chief operating officer (COO). Ewald will also serve on Linux Networx’s board of directors. Linux Networx provides some of the world’s most advanced Linux cluster systems that consistently offer customers a high return on investment. Ewald will focus on expanding Linux Networx’s global business while delivering high levels of customer service. He will also build on Linux Networx’s position as the most innovative high performance computing (HPC) systems provider for manufacturing, aerospace, automotive, oil & gas, life sciences, government and scientific research organizations. “Linux Networx is recognized by the HPC industry as the leader in delivering the highest performance Linux cluster computing solutions and customer service worldwide,” said Ewald. “I’m looking forward to expanding into new international and domestic markets with supported configurations that meet our customers’ requirements.” Ewald, 57, has an extensive history serving in executive-level positions in the HPC industry. Ewald was at Cray Research, Inc. from 1984 to 1996 where he served in several positions, including president and COO from 1994 to 1996. During his tenure at Cray, the company quadrupled in size from about $200 million to over $900 million. Ewald also served as executive vice president and COO for Silicon Graphics (SGI) when the company had revenues of about $3.5 billion. Ewald began his management career at Los Alamos National Laboratory as the head of its Computing and Communications Division. He was appointed by the White House to the President's Information Technology Advisory Committee from 1997 to 2001, and has served on several other boards and industry organizations. Most recently, he was president of Human Resource Solutions, a $1 billion subsidiary of Ceridian Corporation. “Bo is a proven winner who we know well at Oak, and an ideal leader to help the Linux Networx team fully achieve the company’s extraordinary potential,” said Ed Glassmeyer, founding general partner of Oak Investment Partners and member of Linux Networx’s board of directors. Oak Investment Partners and Tudor Ventures recently invested $40 million in Linux Networx.