WALTHAM, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Sept. 2, 2003–Atlas Venture, a leading international early stage venture capital firm investing in communications, information technology and life sciencescompanies, today announced the appointment of Donald MacKenzie to Chief Operating Officer and Administrative Principal, the promotion of Eric Hjerpe to Principal, and the appointment of Ahmet Ozalpto Associate.
“Our firm is committed to continued leadership across all of our investment sectors in the United States and Europe,” said Christopher Spray, Senior Principal, Atlas Venture. “These appointments are part of a continuous process to attract and promote key executive talent.”
Mr. MacKenzie, based in the firm’s Waltham, Massachusetts office, will be responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of Atlas Venture internationally. He brings to Atlas Venture more than 13 years of transaction, financial, and operations management experience. Most recently, Mr. MacKenzie served as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Weigh-Tronix, LLC, a worldwide manufacturer of commercial weighing instruments and systems. Previously, he was a director in the Transaction Services Group of PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP, in Boston, where he counted several leading private equity firms among his clients. He also held positions at Ernst & Young in Boston and the UK. Mr. MacKenzie is a UK chartered accountant and received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of St. Andrews, Scotland. Mr. MacKenzie succeeds Robert Badavas, who is leaving Atlas Venture at the end of September after completing a two-year commitment to the firm.
Mr. Hjerpe has been promoted from Venture Principal to Principal. Since joining the firm in the Waltham office earlier this year, Mr. Hjerpe has played an instrumental role in sourcing and evaluating investments in emerging, innovative companies in the information technology sector. Prior to joining Atlas Venture, Mr. Hjerpe held various senior management positions at Siebel Systems and, following an engagement with Silicon Graphics of Mountain View, California, and an initial eight-year consulting career with Arthur D. Little, also served as Chief Information Officer, Sales and Marketing North America, for Digital Equipment Corporation.
Mr. Ozalp joins Atlas Venture as an Associate in the communications investment sector. He brings to the firm more than 12 years of telecom and software marketing and consulting experience, and was most recently vice president of marketing at Narad Networks. Prior to joining Narad, he was a consultant for Bain & Company in its technology practice, where he worked with telecommunications equipment vendors, service providers, and enterprise software companies. Earlier in his career, he was a product line director at ADC Telecommunications and the director of engineering at Newnet, a software start-up acquired by ADC. He holds a Masters of Science degree in electrical engineering from Columbia University and an M.B.A. in marketing and finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
About Atlas Venture
Atlas Venture is a leading international early-stage venture capital firm, investing in communications, information technology and life sciences companies. With offices in Boston, London, Munich and Paris, Atlas Venture divides its investments between the United States and Europe. Founded in 1980, Atlas Venture currently manages $2.1 billion in committed capital. The Atlas Venture investment team is comprised of seasoned operating executives and career venture capitalists who have been deeply involved in the formation and development of more than 300 companies worldwide. For more information about Atlas Venture, go to www.atlasventure.com.
