PE-backed Kewill appoints new CEO

Kewill, a portfolio company of Francisco Partners, has named Doug Braun as CEO and Jim Hoefflin as president and COO. Braun is succeeding Bob Farrell. Kewill is a provider of supply chain execution software.

PRESS RELEASE

CHELMSFORD, MA and MANCHESTER, UNITED KINGDOM–(Marketwired – October 05, 2015) – Kewill, a leading provider of innovative software for supply chain execution, today announced that Bob Farrell has decided to transition his role as CEO of the company to Doug Braun, effective immediately. Farrell will continue to support the transition through December.

“I am excited about the opportunity to again be a part of a Francisco Partners company and lead Kewill as it continues to expand its geographic and solutions footprint,” said Doug Braun, who previously served as CEO of International Business Systems (IBS), a world leader in distribution software. “As we enter this next phase of growth, I am eager to work closely with all of Kewill’s great employees and customers to provide even better products and services. We are focused on delivering value in everything we do.”

“I have very much appreciated the opportunity to serve as CEO of Kewill through the initial stage of a multi-phase strategy,” said Farrell, who led Kewill through taking the company private. “We have driven value through organic and inorganic growth while establishing market leadership in multimodal transportation management software that positions Kewill well for the future.”

Additionally, to further strengthen the company’s leadership team for the future, Jim Hoefflin has been appointed as President and COO. Hoefflin, who previously served as CEO of Empower Software Solutions, a workforce management and human capital management solution provider, brings additional supply chain domain expertise and acquisitions experience.

Braun and Hoefflin spent over a decade together at RedPrairie, a supply chain execution company that was previously a portfolio company of Francisco Partners. Holding a range of senior leadership positions, the two senior executives were responsible for a substantial majority of RedPrairie’s revenues, operations, corporate strategy and M&A activity.

“We thank Bob for everything he has contributed over the past three years and wish him the best in his future endeavors,” said Kewill Chairman of the Board and Co-President of Francisco Partners, Deep Shah. “Adding two accomplished leaders such as Doug Braun and Jim Hoefflin, who were instrumental in RedPrairie’s success, underscores our excitement about Kewill and our commitment to Kewill’s employees and customers of today and the future. We are intent on pursuing the tremendous global market opportunity for multimodal transportation solutions.”

About Francisco Partners
Francisco Partners (FP) is a global private equity firm that specializes in investments in technology companies. Since its launch 15 years ago, FP has raised approximately $10 billion and invested in more than 150 technology companies, making it one of the most active investors in the industry. The firm invests in transaction values ranging from $50 million to over $2 billion, where the firm’s deep sub-sector knowledge and operational expertise can help a company realize its full potential. www.franciscopartners.com.

About Kewill
Kewill, a Francisco Partners portfolio company, is a global leader in multimodal transportation management software, providing organizations with a comprehensive end-to-end platform for managing the complexities of transportation, logistics and trade compliance. The Kewill MOVE® platform helps companies reduce costs, manage volatility and gain greater visibility across the logistics value chain. Trade, transport, store, comply, manage and integrate — the Kewill transportation management platform gives you the insight, agility and tools you need to deliver better customer service and streamline global supply chain execution for strategic advantage.

The Kewill platform supports supply chain execution activities for over 7,500 companies in more than 100 countries. To learn more about the company, visit www.kewill.com, follow us on Twitter @Kewill_Ltd or check our LinkedIn page for company updates.