Here’s what they said
Chirp, the global leader in data-over-sound technology solutions, today announced that the company’s board of directors has appointed Mike Rees, the former deputy CEO of Standard Chartered PLC, as chairman, effective immediately.
Chirp’s technology is already in use to enable payments in app based, office bus service Shuttl, embedded in Amdocsmobile wallet, and by Activision Blizzard in their Skylanders Imaginators franchise to enable players to share characters completely offline. New use cases and client implementations are being launched all the time, and Mr. Rees brings years of experience running a multinational organisation to this fast-growing technology company.
Rees, 61, is the founder of Strategic Vitality, a consulting practice focused on helping to shape the vision and purpose of businesses to the constantly changing economic, technological and financial world. He is also active with British institutions seeking to develop the country’s start-up and technology companies.
“Former Deputy CEO of Standard Chartered brings years of commercial experience building successful companies and global perspective on entrepreneurship to the role”
Rees previously spent 26 years with Standard Chartered, during which time he was responsible for areas including wholesale banking, financial markets and global commercial banking, working in London and Singapore.
Moran Lerner, chief executive officer of Chirp said, “Chirp finds itself in a pivotal moment in its evolution in fact, a pivotal moment in the evolution of the entire data-over-sound industry. We have enjoyed unrivalled growth recently and real-world launches with some major global clients. The sheer volume of high-profile companies contacting us to inquire about our technology is a testament to everything we’ve worked so hard to achieve over the last 18-months.
“We’re now leaving the “start-up” phase and have launched into the accelerated growth phase. This means we need to bring on people on to our non-executive and advisory board who can bring a different level of expertise and experience, and support our world-class team as we start the next chapter of our journey.”
“The global market for data-over-sound represents a multi-billion-dollar opportunity, thanks to the ubiquity of smart devices and the sheer volume of day-to-day interactions that can be carried out electronically,” said Mr. Rees. “Chirp’s unique technology and leadership team means the company is ideally positioned to unlock this potential and drive the development of the broader market.”
Lerner added, “To have someone of Mike’s calibre join us as chairman is a remarkable achievement for Chirp and a big moment in our history. His immense expertise and experience will be crucial in this next phase and we’re thrilled to welcome him to the team.”
Rees is an active figure in the British start-up scene, and has given keynote speeches on the role of entrepreneurs in meeting global challenges at the Said Business School at the University of Oxford.
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