GPS Leader Thales Navigation Strengthens Organization With Senior Human Resources and Legal Appointments.Business Editors SANTA CLARA Santa Clara, city, Cuba Santa Clara (sän`tä klä`rä), city (1994 est. pop. 217,000), capital of Villa Clara prov., central Cuba. , Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 30, 2002 Thales (tal-less) Navigation, a leading global provider of GPS solutions including its Magellan(R) consumer and Ashtech(R) professional product lines, today announced the appointments of Tom Capizzi as vice president of worldwide human resources The fancy word for "people." The human resources department within an organization, years ago known as the "personnel department," manages the administrative aspects of the employees. , and Elissa Wellikson as vice president and general counsel. Both Capizzi and Wellikson bring proven expertise and decades of experience to their respective roles. "Tom and Elissa are crucial additions to our team," said Dean Senner, 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. of Thales Navigation. "The expertise they bring in developing companies into world class organizations and courting strategic business partnerships, respectively, is key to Thales Navigation's future success in the GPS industry." Capizzi brings more than 20 years of experience with Fortune 100 companies in the capacity of human resources and administrative expert to Thales Navigation. Capizzi has successfully managed every aspect of a comprehensive global human resources organization, including executive and management coaching, career development, staffing, organizational effectiveness, succession planning, employee relations, compensation and benefits planning, merger and acquisition management, and international human resources. Prior to joining Thales Navigation, Capizzi served as the chief administrative officer A chief administrative officer (CAO) is responsible for administrative management of private, public or governmental corporations. The CAO is one of the highest ranking members of an organization, managing daily operations and usually reporting directly to the chief executive and vice president of human resources and administration at PCTel, Inc. Throughout his career, Capizzi has driven organizational success and employee effectiveness at companies including McKesson, Quantum Corp., Genentech, Charles Schwab, PepsiCo and Hertz. Capizzi holds a B.A. in psychology from Cathedral College and St. John's University, and has completed postgraduate work in human resources development and organizational design. "To perform successfully in the marketplace, a company must have a strong organization with support programs that not only meet the needs of employees and management teams, but programs that make the company an employer of choice," said Capizzi. "My passion is to help companies rise to new levels of achievement through employee enhancement and I look forward to contributing to the overall success of Thales Navigation." Wellikson brings to Thales Navigation 25 years' experience in corporate law, strategic business development, and mergers and acquisitions. She most recently came from Redback Networks where she was general counsel and was responsible for establishing the legal department. Wellikson was instrumental in developing process and policies across the company. In addition to building the legal department for this early stage public company, Wellikson managed mergers, acquisitions and investment activity, and strategic relationships for major business opportunities. Prior to Redback Networks, Wellikson served in a variety of senior legal positions at LSI LSI: see integrated circuit. (Large Scale Integration) Between 3,000 and 100,000 transistors on a chip. See SSI, MSI, VLSI and ULSI. Logic Corp., Bay Networks, and Stanford Telecommunications. Earlier in her career, Wellikson was an associate litigation An action brought in court to enforce a particular right. The act or process of bringing a lawsuit in and of itself; a judicial contest; any dispute. When a person begins a civil lawsuit, the person enters into a process called litigation. attorney for Mesirov, Gelman, Jaffe, Cramer & Jamieson in Philadelphia, Pa. Wellikson started her legal career with the United States Navy United States Navy Major branch of the U.S. military forces, charged with defending the nation at sea and maintaining security on the seas wherever U.S. interests extend. The Continental Navy was established by the Continental Congress in 1775. , Judge Advocate A legal adviser on the staff of a military command. A designated officer of the Judge Advocate General's Corps (JAGC) of the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps. General's Corps where she attained the rank of Lieutenant Commander. Wellikson graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science Noun 1. Bachelor of Science - a bachelor's degree in science BS, SB bachelor's degree, baccalaureate - an academic degree conferred on someone who has successfully completed undergraduate studies degree in Art Education from Pennsylvania State University Pennsylvania State University, main campus at University Park, State College; land-grant and state supported; coeducational; chartered 1855, opened 1859 as Farmers' High School. , and received her law degree from Temple University School of Law. "I believe that in this competitive environment, when the legal function is made an integral part of the business team -- sales, engineering and other company functions -- a company is better positioned to achieve its business goals, while also protecting the company's legal interests," said Wellikson. "The management team at Thales Navigation supports that view wholeheartedly whole·heart·ed adj. Marked by unconditional commitment, unstinting devotion, or unreserved enthusiasm: wholehearted approval. whole , so I am excited about working together to combine legal perspective and business focus toward greater company success." About Thales Navigation Thales Navigation is one of the world's leading developers and manufacturers of positioning, navigation, and guidance equipment with operations throughout the U.S. and Europe. Thales Navigation markets its Magellan brand GPS products in the consumer electronics, recreation, and automotive markets, and its Ashtech GPS and GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) The European term for a global satellite-based radio navigation system. See Galileo. professional solutions in the survey, GIS/Mapping, and OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) The rebranding of equipment and selling it. The term initially referred to the company that made the products (the "original" manufacturer), but eventually became widely used to refer to the organization that buys the products and markets. Through its joint venture with Hertz, Thales Navigation has developed the Hertz NeverLost(R) vehicle navigation system. Thales Navigation's key innovations include the first U.S. commercial hand-held GPS receiver for positioning and navigation, and the first handheld GPS with industry standard Secure Digital Memory Card capabilities. Thales Navigation, headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., with European headquarters in Carquefou, France, is a subsidiary of Thales, a leading professional electronics company headquartered in Paris, France, with activities in aerospace, defense and information technology and services. For more information, visit http://www.thalesnavigation.com. Magellan and Ashtech are registered trademarks of Thales Navigation. |
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