>
New COO and vice president of strategic planning add depth to management team and set stage for continued growth
Troy, Michigan/Seattle, Washington (May 20, 2002) - New COO and vice president of strategic planning add depth to management team and set stage for continued growth Seattle (May 15, 2002) - The Cobalt Group, the leading provider of e-business software and services to the automotive retail market, today announced it has named Scott Mathews executive vice president and chief operating officer (COO) and Ed Crawford vice president of strategic planning. These newly-created positions report directly to Cobalt's president and CEO John Holt.
In his new role as COO, Mathews is responsible for the company's finance department, operations and infrastructure, including business systems and process improvement. As vice president of strategic planning, Crawford is responsible for long-range planning and business development.
"Both of these leaders will make a substantial difference to Cobalt as we continue to grow the company and expand our presence in the automotive industry," said Holt. "Their expertise will help us streamline our business processes and forge new alliances that will reinforce our leading position in the industry."
Mathews brings 20 years of management and technology experience to Cobalt. Before joining Cobalt, he served for three years as president and COO of eMerge Interactive, Inc., a technology company providing supply chain management and marketing solutions to the $40 billion beef production industry, based in Sebastian, Fla. Prior to eMerge, he was a corporate officer, vice president and general manager for Key Technology, Inc., a manufacturer of machine vision and material handling products for the food processing and pharmaceutical industries, based in Walla Walla, Wash. He also spent 14 years at General Electric Medical Systems in a variety of sales and management positions. Mathews holds a master's in business administration from the University of Chicago and a bachelor of science degree from Michigan State University.
Crawford brings over 11 years of corporate strategy experience with leading consumer brand companies in the U.S. and overseas markets and a strong background in strategic planning, financial analysis, and new business development to Cobalt. Prior to joining Cobalt, Crawford held senior management positions in the corporate strategic planning groups at Nordstrom in Seattle, Wash.; Marriott International in Washington, D.C.; and Pepsico in Purchase, N.Y. Crawford played a key role in helping the leadership of these companies address the challenges and opportunities of leveraging strong brands and competencies to drive growth. Crawford also spent time in Japan working for Goldman Sachs and Corporate Directions, Inc., a Tokyo-based management consulting company. Crawford holds a master's in business administration from The Wharton School and a bachelor of arts degree from Trinity College.
ABOUT EDS - EDS, the leading global services company, provides strategy, implementation, business transformation and operational solutions for clients managing the business and technology complexities of the digital economy. EDS brings together the world's best technologies to address critical client business imperatives. It helps clients eliminate boundaries, collaborate in new ways, establish their customers' trust and continuously seek improvement. EDS, with its management-consulting subsidiary, A.T. Kearney, serves the world's leading companies and governments in 60 countries. EDS reported revenues of $21.5 billion in 2001. The company's stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: EDS) and the London Stock Exchange. Learn more at www.eds.com. For more information, please visit www.cobaltgroup.com or call (800) 909-8244.
Contact Information
Cobalt Corporate Communications
Email: press@cobaltgroup.com
Phone: (206)219-8022
