TX-FORTERRO
17.2.2021 10:02:16 CET | Business Wire | Press release
Forterro , a group of companies that deliver enterprise resource planning (ERP) software to small- and medium-sized businesses, today announced the appointment of two new executives to lead the company into a new phase of growth in its core market, Europe.
Dean Forbes, a longtime, U.K.-based software executive who was most recently the president of The Access Group, was named Forterro’s chief executive. Paul Smolinski, the former chief financial officer of HR and payroll software firm CoreHR, was named CFO. The two U.K.-based leaders have been tapped to continue Forterro’s growth strategy in Europe, working with the company’s strategic leadership teams across the group’s primary business units in France, Germany, Poland, Sweden, and Switzerland.
Forbes joins Forterro after an extensive career in executive and senior leadership roles for a number of international software companies. Most recently he led the growth and expansion of CoreHR, a UK HCM software provider, across Europe. CoreHR was acquired by The Access Group, where Forbes subsequently served as president and executive board member. Prior to CoreHR, Forbes was CEO of Paris-headquartered SaaS software company KDS, where he led the successful growth and international expansion of the firm, leading to its acquisition by American Express. Earlier in his career, Forbes held senior leadership roles at Philadelphia HQ’d Primavera Systems and, subsequently, Oracle where he was global vice president for sales and marketing for the PPM Division. Forbes brings this wealth of experience to Forterro and its acquired companies, which include abas Software (Germany); BPSC (Poland); Clip Industrie, Silog and Sylob (France); Jeeves and Infocube (Sweden); and ProConcept (Switzerland). Forterro is backed by global, technology-focused investment firm Battery Ventures.
“I am thrilled to become part of such a strong group of ERP companies, who are all successfully operating in one of the strongest, most steadily growing markets in enterprise software,” Forbes said. “The cornerstone of our ongoing success will be to continue investing in the market leadership positions of local and niche ERP software businesses throughout Europe. I am excited about leading the next stage of the Forterro journey as we look to continue to grow the business aggressively, both organically and through further acquisitions.”
“Bringing in new, Europe-based leadership is part of the natural evolution of Forterro,” said Dave Tabors, a Forterro board member and Battery Ventures private equity partner. “Former CEO Jeff Tognoni, former COO Scott Malia, and the rest of the U.S.-based Forterro leadership team have done an outstanding job of growing the business by evaluating, acquiring, and operating ERP companies. To push Forterro into its next stage of development, however, it is time to cultivate leadership talent in closer proximity to our business unit operations. We are very excited to work with Dean as he prepares Forterro for its next stage of growth.”
“We have spent the last several years working closely with our counterparts in Europe to build sustainable growth strategies and unique operating approaches for each business unit and product market,” added Jeff Tognoni, who is stepping down after leading Forterro and growing revenue more than seven-fold since the initial acquisition of Jeeves Information Systems in 2012. “The strength of our local teams and their businesses lets me know that part of our job is done, and that Forterro is ready for new challenges and continued success under the leadership of Dean and Paul.”
ABOUT FORTERRO
Forterro is a group of companies that deliver ERP software to SMEs in specialized geographical or vertical markets. Backed by the investment of Battery Ventures , Forterro operates business units in Sweden, Switzerland, France, Poland, and Germany, as well as regional office locations and research and development centers around the world. Through its ever-growing ecosystem of IP and capital, Forterro collaborates with local management teams to strengthen the solution offerings and operational performance of its portfolio companies. For more information, visit www.forterro.com .
ABOUT BATTERY VENTURES
Battery partners with exceptional founders and management teams developing category-defining businesses in markets including software and services, enterprise infrastructure, online marketplaces, healthcare IT and industrial technology. Founded in 1983, the firm backs companies at all stages, ranging from seed and early to growth and buyout, and invests globally from six strategic locations: Boston; San Francisco and Menlo Park, Calif.; Herzliya, Israel; London; and New York. Follow the firm on Twitter @BatteryVentures, visit our website at www.battery.com and find a full list of Battery's portfolio companies here.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210217005237/en/
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Svante and Integrated Packaging Company Advance U.S. Biogenic CDR Project to Feasibility10.3.2026 14:57:00 CET | Press release
The bioenergy with carbon capture (BECCS) project aims to remove more than 500,000 tonnes per year of biogenic CO2 emissions from a U.S. paper mill’s recovery boiler Svante Development Inc. is co-investing to advance the project The project will generate high-quality carbon dioxide removal (CDR) credits to market to Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM) buyers. Svante Technologies Inc. (“Svante”) announced today that its bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) project at a paper mill in the Southeast U.S. has progressed to the feasibility study phase. The project is being developed in partnership with an integrated sustainable packaging company, following an extensive screening and pre-feasibility study conducted across several of the partner’s mills. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260310319382/en/ During the feasibility study phase, the companies will complete further engineering and design activities, cos
Forbes 40th Annual World’s Billionaires List10.3.2026 14:43:00 CET | Press release
Elon Musk Is World’s Richest Person Ever Recorded Forbes releases its 40th-annual World’s Billionaireslist, the definitive ranking of the planet’s richest people. Wealth surged to unprecedented levels over the past year, with fortunes climbing at a record pace. This year’s list features 3,428 billionaires, the most since the list’s inception in 1987. The world’s wealthiest people are worth a record $20.1 trillion combined, up from $16.1 trillion in 2025. Elon Musktops the Billionaires list for the second year in a row and is the richest person ever recorded, worth an estimated $839 billion. His net worth skyrocketed by half of a trillion dollars from last year, thanks to a rise in the value of Tesla, and SpaceX which is aiming to go public in 2026. Musk is the first person ever recorded to reach the $800 billion mark, as he moves toward becoming the world’s first trillionaire. “It’s the year of the billionaire,” said Chase Peterson-Withorn, Forbes Senior Editor, Wealth. “The planet add
Adtran sets intra-data center benchmark with all-new ultra-low-power LiteWave800™ LPO module10.3.2026 14:00:00 CET | Press release
News summary: AI clusters and GPU fabrics demand massive capacity, yet traditional 800G optics increase energy consumption, heat and cost burdens Adtran’s LiteWave800™ introduces a new class of ultra-low-power, low-latency DR8 LPO modules built on a fully re-engineered design Breakthrough energy efficiency of 1pJ/bit enables greener, scalable intra-data center links for next-generation AI and cloud workloads Adtran today launched LiteWave800™, an ultra‑low‑power 800Gbit/s DR8 linear pluggable optics (LPO) module engineered to help data centers address the power, latency, thermal and bandwidth demands of modern AI and machine-learning (ML) workloads. As GPU clusters grow and short-reach links scale across dense server racks, operators need 800Gbit/s optics that deliver higher capacity within strict power and cooling limits. LiteWave800™ answers this challenge with a fully re-engineered architecture that significantly reduces energy consumption. Operating at just 1pJ/bit and consuming on
Hyperice Introduces Hypervolt 3 Line: More Powerful, Quieter, and Longer-Lasting Percussion Massage Devices10.3.2026 14:00:00 CET | Press release
Upgraded Line Includes Redesigned Head Attachments and New Carry Case for an Enhanced Warm-Up and Recovery Experience Hyperice, a high-performance wellness brand, today announced the global launch of the Hypervolt 3 line, its most advanced percussion massage technology to date. The three-device line features the Hypervolt Go 3 ($149), the Hypervolt 3 ($249), and the Hypervolt 3 Pro ($349) — achieving significant performance upgrades across the board at more accessible price points than industry competitors. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260310934508/en/ The Hypervolt 3 line enables users to massage away stress and tension, loosen muscle knots, maintain flexibility and range of motion, accelerate warm-up before workouts, and recover quickly after activity. Hyperice has built its reputation over the last 15 years on one guiding principle: elite-level recovery technology designed to help everyone perform and mo
Verifone and Thales Unlock Seamless Global Connectivity for Payment Terminals10.3.2026 14:00:00 CET | Press release
Thales today announced a partnership with Verifone, a global leader in payment terminal solutions, to connect Verifone’s next-generation point-of-sale (POS) terminals using Thales eSIM technology. The collaboration aims to simplify device deployment and enable secure, flexible connectivity for payment terminals worldwide; as connectivity can be provisioned, managed and updated remotely throughout the device lifecycle. By using Thales eSIM management platform, Verifone removes the need for removable SIM cards and country-specific hardware versions, significantly reducing operational complexity for manufacturers and service providers alike. At the core of this partnership is Thales’s leadership in eSIM management for large-scale connected devices, enabling remote connectivity provisioning and management, in line with the latest GSMA SGP.32 IoT specifications. These standards support secure and interoperable management of connectivity profiles, making it possible to deploy devices globall
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom