Bruno Vanryb, Co-founder, President and CEO of Avanquest Software

Since he co-founded the Company in 1984 with Roger Politis, Bruno Vanryb has been in charge of the group’s strategic direction worldwide. The close involvement of both founders in all stages of Avanquest’s development means that their careers are closely linked to the firm’s history. Under their impetus, Avanquest Software has gone on from being a pioneer among European technology companies to become one of the world’s leading publisher of consumer software.

Bruno Vanryb's entrepreneurial spirit is also manifested in the wider business community: along with the Avanquest`s incredible adventure, Bruno Vanryb has been involved in the world of professional associations; between 1998 and 2000, he was one of the founders and the president of Croissance Plus, an association whose goal is to bring attention to and support upcoming young companies.

Made a Knight of the National Order of Merit in 2001, in June 2002 he was elected President of MiddleNext, a professional association bringing together some 100 companies, including some of the most respected securities listed on the stock exchange, whose interests it defends in dealing with the authorities, institutions, the media, and actors in the financial community. He is still its Honorary President.

Since 2010, Bruno Vanryb has been a member of the board of the Orientation Committee of NYSE Euronext Paris, alongside people like him who want to be part of the evolution of the Paris Stock Exchange and act in the interest of the financial market, the listed companies and their shareholders.

Since 2010 also, Bruno Vanryb has been President of the “Software developer” College of Syntec Numérique, the major French IT association which federates the most influential IT and digital companies in France. 

A former sound engineer and journalist, Bruno Vanryb is very keen on motorcycles and passionate about new technologies and modern art.

Roger Politis, Co-founder of Avanquest Software and Chief Technical Officer

Together with Bruno Vanryb, Roger Politis has built up one of the greatest European successes in the field of software development and publishing. Since 1984 this small company, which began by developing communication software, including the famous PhoneTools range, has become one of the foremost companies in the world software market.

At Avanquest Software, Roger Politis is in charge of formulating and implementing the group’s global strategy, in collaboration with the executive committee. With his keen interest and outstanding abilities in IT and new technologies, he heads up and runs the Research and Development teams deployed in Europe, North America and Asia.

Roger Politis began his career as a sound engineer in a famous Paris recording studio, where he recorded some famous artists. He was also a journalist for the IT press and, with Bruno Vanryb, co-authored 12 popular works on desktop computing.

In his personal life, Roger Politis is an avid photographer and pilot. In addition to his aeroplane and helicopter licenses, since 1995 he has also been a member of the Aeroclub de France and on the board of the Aeroclub Air France.

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Thierry Bonnefoi, Chief Financial Officer of Avanquest Software

Thierry Bonnefoi joined Avanquest Software in 2000 as chief financial officer and a member of the board. As such, he is in charge of all of the group’s financial operations worldwide, including mergers and acquisitions, and relations with the financial community.

With a Masters in management from Paris IX Dauphine University and a post-graduate DESS degree from the IAE in Aix-en-Provence, Thierry Bonnefoi brings to the group twenty years of experience in international finance, acquired mainly in the United States, where he served as chief financial officer for the Americas for Techpack International. Before contributing to the success of Avanquest, alongside Bruno Vanryb and Roger Politis, Thierry Bonnefoi held several positions of responsibility in large groups, ranging from the mining and metallurgy industries to cosmetics.

Thierry Bonnefoi’s favorite sports are tennis and badminton, both of which he is good at.

Dave Brass, Managing Director of Avanquest Software Publishing Ltd

Dave started his career in the UK software industry with GST Technology Ltd who developed word processing and DTP titles for Atari and Amstrad home computers.

Joining the company in 1987 as a sales representative Dave worked his way up to become Sales and Marketing Director  and in 1994 was instrumental in a management buyout of GST, resulting in the formation of GSP (Global software Publishing).
At that point Dave became Managing Director and GSP has gone on to enjoy considerable success, becoming the UK's No.1 budget software publisher and representing major brands such as Disney, Sega, BBC and Dorling Kindersley.

A native of the North East of England Dave is an ardent Sunderland football fan, a keen golfer, has a Business Studies (Hons) degree from Northumbria University and an MBA from Anglia University.

Chris Thompson, Global Strategy Director, Corporate Sales

Member of the Avanquest Group Executive since 2000, Chris is responsible for driving the sales of Business to Business software for Avanquest. Based in the UK where he is Managing Director of Avanquest Solutions with a team numbering over one hundred; profitably taking the company from revenues of £3m in 2000 to £12m in 2007. Chris is now developing our corporate online sales operation: Software Paradise which will expand across Europe during the next two years.

Chris sources new corporate software relationships from the United States for our offices in UK and Europe and has successfully established many well known brands. He regularly speaks at seminars and conferences and has over thirty years experience in the software and communications industries.

Beginning his career in the City of London’s Stock Exchange, Chris studied Statistics and Accountancy at the London College of Further Education before forming his first business, Gecoms, in 1978. Having played rugby until his mid 30’s, Chris still finds time to regularly watch with favourite football team and is an avid skier and scuba diver.