CATC
Enabling Global Connectivity Computer Access Technology Corporation
2403 Walsh Avenue, Santa Clara, CA 95051-1302
Tel: (408) 727-6600, Fax: (408) 727-6622
www.catc.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
- ---------------------
IR Contact: Dennis W. Evans Media Contact: George Millington, Walt & Company
(408) 727-6600 (408) 496-0900
devans@catc.com gmillington@walt.com
Jean-Louis Gassee Named President & CEO of CATC
Santa Clara, CA--January 7, 2002--Computer Access Technology Corp. (NASDAQ:
CATZ), a communication protocol expert company and a leading provider of
advanced verification systems and connectivity products for digital
communications standards, today announced the election of Jean-Louis Gassee as
president and chief executive officer. Gassee, 57, has served on CATC's board of
directors since the company's initial public offering in 2000. He succeeds CATC
co-founder Dan Wilnai, 60, who announced his plans to retire from day-to-day
operations earlier this year. Wilnai will remain active at CATC during a
transition period and will continue to serve as chairman of CATC's board of
directors.
Gassee brings more than 30 years of high technology experience to CATC, most
recently as the President, CEO and Chairman of Be, Incorporated, a company he
founded in October 1990. Be, Inc. recently sold substantially all of its
technology assets to Palm, Inc.
Prior to Be, Jean-Louis Gassee spent over nine years at Apple Computer, Inc. In
February 1981, Gassee started Apple's French subsidiary and, in 1982, was also
named president of the "Apple Education" foundation. Apple France became and
remains Apple's largest business unit outside of the United States. In 1985,
Gassee was transferred to Cupertino, California, to head Apple's Product
Development. Most recently, Gassee, was president of the Apple Products
Division, responsible for managing all of Apple's global product
-more-
CATC Names Jean-Louis Gassee as President and CEO Page 2 of 3
functions, including product marketing, worldwide manufacturing and research and
development. He left Apple in 1990 to form Be.
"We couldn't be more pleased with the result of our search for a new leader of
CATC," said Wilnai. "We were determined to find an experienced executive with
demonstrated success as a leader of high tech companies. Jean-Louis Gassee has
that background and a track record of leading high technology organizations to
new levels of growth and success. We look forward to CATC achieving that kind of
success under his leadership."
Gassee stated: "I am very excited about joining CATC at this stage of its
development. The company has an outstanding team, a large and loyal customer
base and an excellent reputation for quality products, customer service and
innovation in the IT industry. Importantly, CATC has been using its strong
balance sheet to make strategic investments that will position us to build on
our leadership in the digital communications protocol marketplace when IT
spending growth resumes."
Before joining Apple, Gassee was president and general manager of the French
subsidiary of Exxon Office Systems. Gassee also held several general management
positions with Data General, including general manager for France, area manager
for Latin and Middle-East countries and marketing director for Europe. In
addition, he spent six years at Hewlett-Packard where he was responsible for
overseeing the launching of the company's first desktop scientific computer and
the development of its sales organization in France, before his promotion to
Sales Manager of Europe.
Gassee serves as a director of several private or publicly traded companies,
including 3Com, Electronics for Imaging and Logitech. A graduate of the Faculty
of Sciences, a math and physics university in Orsay, France, Gassee holds a
master's of science degree.
-more-
CATC Names Jean-Louis Gassee as President and CEO Page 3 of 3
About CATC
CATC (NASDAQ: CATZ - news), a communication protocol expert company, provides
---- ----
advanced verification systems and connectivity products for existing and
emerging digital communications standards such as USB, IEEE 1394, Bluetooth
wireless technology, InfiniBand, Serial ATA and Ethernet. CATC products are used
by semiconductor, device, system and software companies at each phase of their
products' lifecycles from development through production and market deployment.
CATC verification systems consist of development and production products that
accurately monitor communications traffic and diagnose operational problems to
ensure standards compliance and interoperability as well as assist system
manufacturers to download software onto new computers. CATC connectivity
products enable reliable, uninterrupted service for broadband Internet access.
CATC was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California. CATC
can be found on the web at http://www.catc.com.
-------------------
This press release may contain forward-looking statements based on CATC's
current expectations, such as management capability and experience, levels of
growth, profitability and shareholder value. These forward-looking statements
involve risks and uncertainties. A number of important factors could cause
actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking
statements, such as CATC's management performance, success of growth,
profitability and increased shareholder value. These factors, as well as other
factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, are discussed in
more detail in CATC's Annual Report on Form 10K, filed March 12, 2001, its most
recent Form 10-Q filed on November 14, 2001 and subsequent filings CATC may make
with the SEC, as amended, which can be viewed at the Securities and Exchange
Commission's website at http://www.sec.gov/
-------------------
###