Novell Appoints Maarten Koster as President, Novell Asia Pacific

Novell today appointed Maarten Koster as president, Novell® Asia Pacific. Formerly director of Tivoli Asia Pacific for IBM, Koster brings to Novell deep experience in both enterprise software and the Asia-Pacific region, an area of increasing focus for Novell. Koster will be responsible for the full range of Novell's sales and consulting business across Asia-Pacific, including in China and India, two markets witnessing significant interest in Linux* and open source. Rhonda O'Donnell will move to the position of chairperson, Asia-Pacific, for Novell.

"The Asia-Pacific region is home to some of the world's most dynamic economies, and new deployment of information technology has been a critical driver of the economic success the region is enjoying," said Tom Francese, executive vice president for worldwide sales for Novell. "Maarten Koster has the ideal set of skills and knowledge to help Novell tap into these markets effectively. He knows the region inside-and-out, understands the enterprise software space, and has a proven track record in delivering results. He's a great addition to Novell."

Koster brings to Novell over 28 years of experience in the technology industry. Prior to joining Novell, he spent nine years at IBM, most recently serving as director, Tivoli Asia-Pacific for IBM Software, helping IBM significantly expand the presence of its management solutions in key Asia countries. He also headed up IBM's small and medium-sized business sales, was the point person for the integration of Rational Software into IBM in Asia, and served as IBM's channel leader for Asia-Pacific. Prior to joining IBM, Koster managed business development for Wang Australia, and directed sales and marketing for BHL Systems. Earlier in his career, Koster focused on technology and services for the legal sector, holding management positions in Mahlab Group, co-founding Anstat Systems LTD, and serving as a consultant for Computer Power Group. Prior to moving to Australia in 1982, Koster worked at Kluwer Group, the Netherland's largest legal publishing house. He began his career at the University of Groningen as a lecturer in Economic Law. Koster has a law degree from the University of Groningen and a marketing degree from Monash University in Australia.

"Asia-Pacific is booming economically, and technology is increasingly seen as a competitive differentiator by companies in the region," said Koster. "With its focus of the growth markets of Linux and security, identity and systems management, Novell is extremely well positioned to help companies in Asia-Pacific leverage new technologies. I'm excited to be joining Novell's team at this moment of great opportunity, and look forward to working with our Asia-Pacific customers to help drive their success."