WiMAX solution developer Alvarion Ltd. (Nasdaq: ALVR; TASE: ALVR) has named Eran Gorev to succeed Tzvika Friedman as president and CEO. Gorev will take complete responsibility in December.
Gorev has worked for five years at NICE Systems Ltd. (Nasdaq: NICE; TASE: NICE), where he most recently was chief business officer. He spent four of his years at NICE as CEO of US unit NICE Systems Inc., the largest operating unit of the company, where he succeeded in tripling revenue and raising profits even more.
Departing CEO Friedman said, “I am delighted that Eran will be leading the Alvarion team. It is a testimony to our past achievements and to our prospects for the future that we are able to attract someone of his caliber. Eran’s experience with some of the world’s leading carriers as well as his proven capabilities with large project execution will be important assets. His background brings both continuity and a fresh perspective to the company. I look forward to working with him to effect a seamless transition, and I wish him and the entire organization much continued success in the next phase of Alvarion’s growth.”
Globes: Does the fact that Gorev has a background in the US market indicate that Alvarion will focus on the US?
Friedman: "That isn't why Eran was chosen, and he plans to return to Israel, but the US is a market we have set our sights on, and many of Alvarion's investors are American, so the time Eran has spent there could help."
NICE Systems CEO Haim Shani recently announced that he was leaving, and Gorev's name came up as a potential replacement there too, but in the end the job went to Zeev Bregman, who formerly managed Comverse.
Was Alvarion Gorev's second choice, after NICE?
"Alvarion is what he chose. I can't say what NICE offered or didn't offer"
Before his years at NICE, Gorev was president of the North America major clients division at Amdocs. He has a law degree from Tel Aviv University and a joint MBA degree from the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University and the Leon Recanati Graduate School of Business Administration, Tel Aviv University.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on September 2, 2009
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