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 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.

On July 12, 2007, Bruno Vanryb was appointed to the board of 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. 

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 and Chief Technical Officer of Avanquest Software

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.
 

Andy Goldstein, European Chief Operating Officer

Born in Philadelphia (USA), Andy Goldstein started his first European venture about 25 years ago after having finished his studies with a Bachelor of Science Degree and a double major in Entrepreneurial Management & International Business, graduating in May 1983 from the Wharton Business School of the University of Pennsylvania. In the same year, he founded North American Software in Vienna (Austria) and began publishing US software in Europe.

In 1996, Andy created a new organization, MediaGold Software Publishing Group, targeting Europe’s biggest software markets - Germany, Switzerland, Austria, the UK and France - with localized consumer software. MediaGold had more than 30 employees and over €7m revenue annually when it was taken over by the French software corporation BVRP in 2003 and renamed to Avanquest Deutschland.

Andy is a member of Avanquest Software’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee. As European COO, he leads Avanquest’s European software business and is responsible for acquisitions of new developers and partners.

In addition to his responsibilities at Avanquest, Andy teaches Entrepreneurship at the Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich and is a highly prolific poet.

David Wright, President, Avanquest Product Design

David Wright joined Avanquest Software in 1989 in France as Sales Director. With his avid interest in new technologies, he then started developing the company's OEM network in Europe and contributed to the success of the first PhoneTools products which have sold more than 100 million units in over 23 languages to major PC and modem manufacturers.

David Wright helped to architect Avanquest’s Mobile PhoneTools, the world’s leading PC-Cellular integration software which is bundled with cellular phones and equipment from leading manufacturers, and has become a flagship software and a worldwide bestseller.

Since 2007, David has been the president of Avanquest Product Design Group, a global division in charge of strategy and marketing for all software developed in-house for all sales channels, whether OEM, Retail, Corporate or Web.

Bob McNinch, Managing Director, Web Division

Bob McNinch joined Avanquest in 2006 to consolidate and grow our web business. Mr. McNinch has been at the forefront of helping business to become more profitable using the internet, most recently building Education online stores for companies like Adobe, and for Microsoft and Canon as VP Europe at e/commerce outsourcer Digital River. As MD of ISP Netscalibur, and at Dell as European Director of the Preferred Account business segment, a $1.2bn division leveraging the internet to sell across EMEA, he has built businesses transacting up to $2m per day online.

Before joining Dell, Bob McNinch spent 5 years at Tektronix, as Vice President EMEA region for the Color Printers division, which grew nearly three times to over $200m under his management. Mr. McNinch has also worked in various leading management positions during 10 years with Apple Computer whom he joined as one of their first employees in Europe in the European Headquarters in Paris, and during 7 years in the USA. Prior to Apple Bob worked 5 years with IBM in the UK.

A native of Ireland, Bob McNinch has a degree in Business Operations and Control from the University of Salford.