Business Objects Names John Olsen president, COO

Business Objects, a leading provider of business intelligence (BI) solutions, announced that it has named John Olsen to the position of president and chief operating officer (COO). Olsen joined the company on July 9, 2001 and is based in San Jose, California. He reports directly to Bernard Liautaud, chief executive officer (CEO) and chairman of the board of Business Objects.

Olsen will run Business Objects global operations, and oversee the management team running the Americas, Europe, Japan, and the International Distribution Division, which covers regional distributors in the rest of the world. He will also be responsible for worldwide marketing, alliances, professional services (consulting, training, and customer support), and the Business Objects estore. In addition, Olsen will continue his role on the board of directors of Business Objects, which he joined in October 2000.

Olsen has more than 25 years of experience in the software and services industry. Most recently, he was president and chief executive officer of Marimba, Inc, a leading provider of systems management solutions for ebusiness. Prior to that, Olsen served as president of the Design Realization Group of Cadence Design Systems Inc. At Cadence, Olsen served as executive vice president of Cadence's worldwide field operations, overseeing the sales, marketing, and services functions and a staff of 2,400. During his tenure at the company, Cadence Design Systems grew from $429 million to $1.2 billion in annual revenue. Over 50 percent of the company's revenue was from international operations and customers.

Before joining Cadence in 1993, Olsen had held the position of partner, Strategic Services, at KPMG Peat Marwick. In addition, he served as regional director of sales and marketing for Electronic Data Systems (EDS). Olsen holds a Masters in Management Science from University of South Florida, and a BS in Industrial Engineering from Iowa State University.

"I am very pleased to announce John's appointment as president and COO of Business Objects. He has all the qualities needed to lead the Business Objects operations through a new phase of growth -- strong operational management experience, a global view, and proven expertise in the software industry," said Bernard Liautaud, CEO and chairman of the board of Business Objects.

"I am very positive about the future prospects of Business Objects, and am proud to be associated with such a strong management team and technology leader," said John Olsen, newly named president and COO of Business Objects. "I look forward to expanding our operations, serving our global customers, and growing our market share as we take advantage of a tremendous market opportunity."

About Business Objects

Business Objects is a leading provider of business intelligence (BI) solutions. Business intelligence lets organizations access, analyze, and share information internally with employees and externally with customers, suppliers, and partners. It helps organizations improve operational efficiency, build profitable customer relationships, and develop differentiated product offerings.

The company's products include BusinessObjects 2000, a leading integrated business intelligence toolset and platform; and BusinessObjects Analytics, an integrated suite of enterprise analytic applications.

Business Objects pioneered the modern BI industry in 1990 by inventing a patented "semantic layer" that insulates users from the complexity of databases. In 1995, the company was first to focus on enterprise-scale BI deployments and today supports customers with more than 20,000 users. The company moved aggressively to the Internet in 1997 by pioneering the market for BI extranets, a market that it continues to lead today. In 2000, the company delivered the industry's first interactive mobile BI solution. Today, Business Objects continues to innovate, creating and delivering a unique vision for enterprise analytic applications.

Business Objects has more than 13,000 customers in over 80 countries. Business Objects can be reached at 408-953-6000 and www.businessobjects.com.