Affinnova, Inc. Appoints Consumer Packaged Goods Industry Veteran, H. Robert Hawthorne, to Executive Advisory Board.Business Editors CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 8, 2003 Former Executive From Ocean Spray, Pillsbury and Alpo Petfoods Joins Affinnova's Esteemed Group of Advisors Affinnova, Inc., a leading provider of product design and development solutions, today announced it appointed H. Robert Hawthorne Robert Hawthorne VC (1822-2 February 1879) born in Maghera, County Londonderry was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. to its Executive Advisory Board (EAB EAB Emerald Ash Borer (insect) EAB Environmental Appeals Board (EPA) EAB Educational Activities Board (IEEE) EAB Environmental Advisory Board EAB Egyptian American Bank ), which meets quarterly to provide independent counsel integral in guiding the strategic development and evolution of the Company. Mr. Hawthorne is a 30-year veteran of the consumer products industry who has held executive positions at leading packaged goods Noun 1. packaged goods - groceries that are packaged for sale foodstuff, grocery - (usually plural) consumer goods sold by a grocer plural, plural form - the form of a word that is used to denote more than one companies, including Ocean Spray, Pillsbury and Alpo Petfoods. He also led the successful IPO (Initial Public Offering) The first time a company offers shares of stock to the public. While not a computer term per se, many founders, employees and insiders of computer companies have found this acronym more exciting than any tech term they ever heard. of The Select Comfort Corporation in 1998, while serving as the company's President and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. . "The addition of Rob Hawthorne Rob Hawthorne is a football commentator currently working for Sky Sports. He is most notable for his commentating along side Andy Gray in the 2005 UEFA Champions League Final in Istanbul. to our Executive Advisory Board brings us a wealth of talent and experience in the consumer packaged goods arena, adding yet another level of expertise to our esteemed group of advisors," said David Andonian, Executive Chairman of Affinnova, Inc. "As we work to solidify our footprint in the consumer packaged goods industry, Robert's experience will be invaluable in shaping our message and our product offerings to attract an even broader customer base in this important and growing market segment." Robert Hawthorne served as President and CEO of the Ocean Spray Company from February 2000 to October 2002. During his tenure, he helped increase the company's net profit, reduce debt and increase its cranberry beverage market share. Prior to joining Ocean Spray, Mr. Hawthorne served as President and CEO of The Select Comfort Corporation (1997 - 1999), President of The Pillsbury Company  Pillsbury is a brand name used by Minneapolis-based General Mills and the The J. M. Smucker Company. (1992 - 1997), President & CEO of Alpo Petfoods (1990 - 1992) and President and CEO of Pillsbury Canada (1986 - 1990). Early in his career, he spent 14 years at General Mills  This article or section may contain a proseline.Please help [ convert this timeline] into prose or, if necessary, a . Canada, where he held a series of product manager and marketing positions, which culminated in his role as Senior Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Quality Assurance. Mr. Hawthorne currently serves on three boards: CNS See Continuous net settlement. CNS See continuous net settlement (CNS). , Inc., manufacturers of Breathe Rite nasal strips, Maxxam Analytical Inc., the largest environmental and DNA testing DNA testing Analysis of DNA (the genetic component of cells) in order to determine changes in genes that may indicate a specific disorder. Mentioned in: Acoustic Neuroma, Retinoblastoma, Von Willebrand Disease Company in Canada, and CSC Consulting, a Dallas-based consulting firm Noun 1. consulting firm - a firm of experts providing professional advice to an organization for a fee consulting company business firm, firm, house - the members of a business organization that owns or operates one or more establishments; "he worked for a . "Companies like Pillsbury and General Mills have long established the benchmark for consumer packaged goods strategies, and have traditionally relied on a very specific formula for success," said Robert Hawthorne. "Affinnova's breakthrough approach offers a new way to interpret this success formula, applying principles of genetics and technology to improve an age-old process. I am excited to be a part of the evolution -- both Affinnova's and the industry's." About Affinnova's Executive Advisory Board Affinnova's Executive Advisory Board was created in 2001 to augment the Company's strategic planning and development objectives with outside, independent viewpoints. The Board includes industry veterans whose diverse experience across various industry disciplines complements the Company's business approach -- with expertise ranging from market research and software development to product design, development and marketing. Existing Affinnova EAB members include: -- Michael A. Ahearn, Managing Director, Conley and Company -- Rodney Brooks, Ph.D., Director, Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, MIT MIT - Massachusetts Institute of Technology -- Michael Hawley, Director of Special Projects and Founder of MIT's GO Expeditions Program -- John Quelch, Ph.D., Senior Associate Dean & Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School Harvard Business School, officially named the Harvard Business School: George F. Baker Foundation, and also known as HBS, is one of the graduate schools of Harvard University. -- Robert Weissman, retired Chairman and CEO of Dun & Bradstreet -- Harry West, Vice President, Strategy and Innovation, Design Continuum -- Peter J. Bentley, Ph.D., Honorary Research Fellow, University College London In related news, Affinnova recently announced the appointment of Board members Michael (Mike) A. Ahearn, Managing Director at Conley and Company, a leading executive recruitment firm in Boston, Mass., and Michael Hawley, Director of Special Projects and Founder of MIT's GO Expeditions Program and Robert Weissman, retired Chairman and CEO of Dun & Bradstreet (BusinessWire, November 11 and 17, 2003, and December 2, 2003, or http://www.affinnova.com/news). About Affinnova, Inc. Affinnova harnesses the science of evolution to develop optimal concepts, products and brands. The company's solutions allow consumer-focused companies to successfully compete in an environment where continuous introductions of ever better-designed products are critical to success. Affinnova is privately held and headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. For more information about Affinnova, visit www.affinnova.com. About IDEA(TM) Affinnova's patent pending IDEA(TM) (Interactive Design by Evolutionary Algorithms) technology evolves virtual products, concepts, packages and brands based on consumer preferences. IDEA(TM) technology allows for exploration of wider design and creative spaces, holistic optimization, the identification of interaction effects (feature synergies), and preference-based market segmentation Market Segmentation A marketing term referring to the aggregating of prospective buyers into groups (segments) that have common needs and will respond similarly to a marketing action. . (C)2003 Affinnova Inc. Affinnova and IDEA(TM) are trademarks of Affinnova, Inc. |
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