Hypercom Corporation (NYSE: HYC) today announced the appointments of Nassrin Tavakoli as Senior Director, Global Software Engineering and Tom Upton as Vice President, Global Services.
Ms. Tavakoli is responsible for leading the company's global software engineering development and integration activities. Mr. Upton is responsible for leading the company's global service operations and initiatives, including benchmarking country-specific models and requirements, optimizing operations and customer satisfaction, implementing best practices, and directing hardware maintenance and repair, procurement, distribution and profitability. Ms. Tavakoli reports to Robert J. Miklosko, Vice President of Global Engineering, Research & Development. Mr. Upton reports to Thomas B. Sabol, Chief Financial Officer. Both appointments are effective immediately.
"Reinforcing our global software capabilities and increasing our repair and maintenance services business and gross margins are two of our key objectives as we continue to grow the Company in 2010. These two highly respected senior executives have the expertise to do just that. Nassrin Tavakoli is a technically sophisticated management executive with significant expertise in establishing, building and implementing operations and technology infrastructures to streamline processes, time to market and enhance development performance. Tom Upton is a highly skilled international operations and program management executive with considerable experience in the technology sector and significant expertise in directing worldwide operations, promoting common processes and best practices," said Philippe Tartavull, Chief Executive Officer and President, Hypercom Corporation.
About Nassrin Tavakoli
Ms. Tavakoli brings to Hypercom more than 25 years of broad-based global software, and managerial experience with technical expertise in software engineering, embedded systems, system reliability and security, image processing and pattern recognition, data compression, RFID, smart card systems, mobile communications, end-to-end services, multimedia systems architecture, databases and data communications. Ms. Tavakoli served for 16 years with Motorola in a number of positions including Global Software Group Senior Director, Managing Director/General Manager, GSG-Italy responsible for establishing and operating the company's Turin-based R&D center, Director of Software Resources, and Vice President of Technology at Motorola's subsidiary INFO Enterprises. Among her many accomplishments, Ms. Tavakoli established, defined and implemented processes, organization, governance and tools requirements for software reuse in 13 off-shore software design centers.
Ms. Tavakoli was also a technical reviewer for the National Science Foundation and the European Commission 6th and 7th framework programs. She joins Hypercom from NATA Technology Solutions, LLC. Ms. Tavakoli holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Kansas State University, and a Master's in Computer Science and Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science and Mathematics from Southeast Missouri State University.
About Tom Upton
Mr. Upton brings to Hypercom 30 years of broad-based global experience in technical managed services with significant expertise in service delivery to ATM, QSR, POS and self-checkout in the retail business segment, product life cycle management, high margin ancillary business creation and multi-vendor product support. Mr. Upton served for six years with Wincor-Nixdorf as Executive Vice President, Services and Operations, The Americas. He has also served as Vice President, Managed Services at Fujitsu Transaction Solutions, Inc., and held various positions with Boundless Technologies, Inc., including President of the Global Distribution Division and Board Member, Senior Director of Worldwide Sales and Director of North American Sales. Mr. Upton joins Hypercom from BuzzHub Network.