Having successfully brought SuSE Linux through a restructuring over the
past year, turn-around specialist Gerhard Burtscher stepped down as
chairman of the executive board and CEO of the firm Monday, paving the way
for Richard Seibt to take the reins as the company prepares for growth.
Burtscher took over SuSE in Dec. 2001, and set about rebuilding the business
around a scalable infrastructure by aligning the company on indirect sales,
increasing channel delivery partners, paring down product lines and
increasing relationships with ISVs and IHVs. Burtscher then lead SuSE
through the formation of the UnitedLinux initiative which brings together a
number of leading Linux firms around a global, uniform Linux distribution
designed for business.
Seibt, a 20-year alumnus of IBM, has most recently served as executive
board member of Germany’s United Internet, holding operational
responsibility for several affiliates and the internationalization of
United Internet and selected affiliates. He will be charged with leading
the firm through a new phase of growth.
“SuSE Linux has made industrial history in the Linux market with innovative
technologies and market-driven products,” said Seibt. “SuSE has an
excellent reputation with consumer and corporate customers, as well as ISVs
and IHVs. SuSE has several key challenges in stepping up to the next level.
First, to continue to push the international Linux standard, UnitedLinux.
Second, to make use of the momentum in the market to extend with SuSE’s
partners our penetration in medium-sized and large-sized corporate
customers. Third, according to the Open Source principle, to offer private
users and enterprises an alternative to the continuously increasing license
costs of proprietary operating systems and standard office applications.”
Burtscher added, “I am pleased that we could reach our goals in a very
short timeframe, even with the difficult macroeconomic climate today. We
have created a solid foundation for SuSE’s future growth. The new
orientation of SuSE accommodates corporate users’ as well as private users’
demands. With its role as the product integrator of the UnitedLinux
initiative, SuSE has the best requirements for stable global growth at is
disposal.”
Seibt will take the reins at SuSE on Jan. 20.
