USWeb/CKS Establishes Presence in Norway / Leading
20.04.1999, 17:50
Internet Professional Services Firm Appoints Management Team to
Build Scandinavian Presence
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (PROTEXT) - USWeb/CKS (Nasdaq: USWB), a
leader in strategic Internet and marketing communications
services, announced today plans to expand into Norway. Marking
the firm's first steps into the Scandinavian market, USWeb/CKS
has appointed veteran consulting professionals Paal Roppen, Odd
Martinsen, Jostein Borgmo and Eirik Johnsen as founding members
of the region's management team tasked with building the firm's
presence in Norway. Roppen will be Managing Partner of the Nordic
Region, responsible for extending the firm's presence into the
other Scandinavian countries. Martinsen will be Managing Director
for USWeb/CKS in Norway.
"A USWeb/CKS presence will provide Norwegian businesses
instant access to more than 2,300 Internet specialists around the
world, in addition to one of the largest pools of expertise and
experience in the area of Internet and marketing communication
services," said Paal Roppen. "We hope to scale quickly in this
market by recruiting top Internet experts from various
communities in Norway and potentially from acquisitions. Our goal
is to become a leader in the Scandinavian market."
"By combining expertise in marketing communications and
Internet technology, USWeb/CKS helps companies transform their
businesses to compete in the digital economy," said Bob Clarkson,
executive partner, International region. "As we expand our
presence in Europe, we intend to transfer this recipe for success
to the Norwegian market, growing the expertise through both
organic hiring and acquisition. We also expect to expand into the
other Scandinavian countries over the next 18 months."
USWeb/CKS currently has more than 40 offices worldwide and is
one of the largest Internet professional services firms in Europe
with more than 400 employees in five countries.
About the Management Team
The management team in Norway has unique experience in
business development and management for both marketing
communications and technology-based companies. Paal Roppen
previously held a variety of top managerial positions in
JBR/McCann and McCann-Erickson International, two leading
marketing communications companies. He helped guide McCann's
International Internet service offerings by establishing
Thunderhouse, an Internet services company based in Norway. Now,
as managing partner for the Nordic Region, Roppen will be
responsible for developing and coordinating USWeb/CKS's business
activities in the Nordic markets and will sit on the company's
European management board.
Odd Martinsen also helped to develop Thunderhouse into one of
Norway's leading 'Internet service firms. Before joining
ThunderHouse, Martinsen was Managing Director of Apple Norway. As
managing director of USWeb/CKS in Norway, he will focus on
developing the Norwegian office of USWeb/CKS and will contribute
to the establishment of USWeb/CKS in the other Scandinavian
countries.
Jostein Borgmo, has been appointed Creative Director of the
USWeb/CKS office in Norway. He was previously Creative Director
of ThunderHouse Norway. Borgmo has a long and impressive track
record as a creative director and copywriter in the Norwegian
advertising industry and is a specialist in new media
communication. At USWeb/CKS, Borgmo will be responsible for
recruiting expertise and ensuring quality marcom practices in the
field. Eirik Johnsen will join USWeb/CKS as Technology Director.
He too is joining USWeb/CKS from ThunderHouse, where he was Chief
IT adviser and a member of the management team - playing a
central role in McCann-Erickson's international developments in
information technology. Johnsen will drive the Norway office's
technological direction.
About USWeb/CKS
USWeb/CKS is a professional services firm that works with
companies to define strategies and implement innovative ways to
build their businesses by combining the expertise of strategy,
Internet technology and marketing communications. USWeb/CKS helps
clients differentiate their products and services, strengthen
customer relationships, leverage human capital, and improve
business efficiency in the new electronic economy. With more than
2,300 professionals, USWeb/CKS has helped hundreds of businesses
advance their marketing communications programs as well as
traditional IT and Internet systems -- everything from brand
development and advertising to business process automation and e-
commerce solutions. The Company is headquartered in Santa Clara,
California. Additional information about USWeb/CKS operations in
Scandinavia is available by sending an email to
proppen@uswebcks.com or at www.uswebcks.com or by calling 408-
987-3200.
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" (as
defined under securities law) about USWeb/CKS' plans and
expectations regarding its business in Nordic Regions. Prior to
this announcement, USWeb/CKS has had no presence or expertise
managing an operation in this region. International operations
entails inherent risks and unless the Company overcomes the
challenges of initiating operations in a new region, its success
will fall short of its plans and expectations and its business
will suffer. For additional information about factors that could
affect the businesses of USWeb/CKS, see the documents filed by
the companies with the United States Securities and Exchange
Commission. ots Original Text Service: USWeb/CKS Internet:
http://www.newsaktuell.de Contact: media, James Espinas, 408-
986-6747 or jespinas@uswebcks.com, or investor contact, Kate
Wagner, 408-987-3268 or kwagner@uswebcks.com, both of USWeb/CKS
Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/120663.html
or fax, 800-758-5804, ext. 120663 Web site: http://www.usweb.com
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