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
Paris Outpaces London as Europe’s Top AI City, According to The Observer’s AI Cities Index20.10.2026 13:11:00 CEST | Press release
Paris has claimed Europe’s AI crown, ranking higher than London as the continent’s leading hub of AI excellence. Yet Europe is struggling to compete with cities across the US and Asia, whose AI hubs lead the global rankings. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261020799504/en/ The Observer AI Cities Index Top Ten Cities 2026 This is according to The Observer’s inaugural AI Cities Index: a first-of-its-kind report identifying which cities are leading the global AI race when it comes to originating, building, financing and integratingartificial intelligence (AI). The new ranking has scored 57 cities across 36 countries based on levels of AI investment (assessing public, private and procedural investments in AI), innovation (capturing breakthroughs in technology that are indicative of greater capacity for AI in the future) and implementation (the availability of the infrastructure, institutions and systems needed to
New Research from One Biosciences Shows Single-Cell Profiling Can Identify Which Ovarian Cancer Tumors are Predisposed to Chemotherapy Resistance20.10.2026 13:02:00 CEST | Press release
Researchers from French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), Institut Curie, Sorbonne Université and One Biosciences show ovarian cancer tumor cells may be epigenetically primed to resist chemotherapyClinical single-cell profiling at diagnosis may enable more personalized treatment strategies in difficult-to-treat cancer One Biosciences today announced data showing some ovarian cancer tumor cells are predisposed to resist chemotherapy and single-cell profiling at diagnosis can identify tumor profiles that indicate which patients are likely to experience treatment failure, ultimately enabling more personalized treatment strategies. Researchers from One Biosciences, French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), Institut Curie, and Sorbonne Université found that the cellular changes linked to the development of resistance to cytotoxic chemotherapy cannot be explained by DNA mutations alone: the functional and epigenetic state of tumor cells play a key role and initial
IDWS 2026 Brings the World Together to Accelerate the Deployment of Water Solutions20.10.2026 12:38:00 CEST | Press release
Jeddah is preparing to host the fifth edition of the Innovation Driven Water Sustainability Conference (IDWS 2026) from 14 to 16 December 2026. The conference aims to accelerate the transition of water solutions from research and development to real-world deployment, while connecting innovators with investors and end users to strengthen water security, improve service efficiency, and enhance the sustainability of water resources worldwide. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261020192877/en/ Main session from IDWS 2025 (Photo: AETOSWire) The conference will bring together experts, researchers, innovators, investors, and representatives of water-sector organisations from more than 140 countries. It will feature over 250 speakers and is expected to attract more than 10,000 participants, alongside an international exhibition showcasing more than 150 global brands. Eng. Tariq Al-Ghafari, Deputy president for innovatio
European Wealth Firms Build Private Markets Capability Faster Than They Communicate It, Peregrine Report Finds20.10.2026 10:15:00 CEST | Press release
Capability outpaces communication: 73% of the 30 firms show visible private markets engagement, yet only 40% have a dedicated landing page explaining it to clients Swiss private banks set the benchmark: 70% maintain dedicated private markets destinations, led by Julius Baer, UBP, Pictet and Lombard Odier Visibility is concentrated: five firms generate half of all wealth management media coverage, and alternatives just 7% Europe's leading wealth managers have built genuine private markets capability but most have yet to explain it to the clients they built it for, according to The Wealth 30, a new report from Peregrine Communications. The study analyses how 30 leading UK and European wealth managers and private banks position private markets. It concludes that communication, not product, is now the biggest barrier to differentiation in the wealth channel. Capability outpaces explanation 73% of the Wealth 30 engage in private markets yet only 40% operate a dedicated landing page explaini
Infobip and Yamaha Power Conversational Customer Engagement in Indonesia’s Automotive Sector20.10.2026 10:00:00 CEST | Press release
Global AI-first cloud communications platform Infobip strengthens its collaboration with Yamaha Indonesia Motor Manufacturing (YIMM) to transform customer engagement through WhatsApp-powered conversational experiences designed to drive stronger personalization and faster customer interactions. As Indonesia’s consumers increasingly adopt digital-first purchasing behaviors, Yamaha Indonesia is evolving how it connects with customers across the buying journey. Today’s motorcycle buyers often research products through Yamaha’s social media, websites, and video reviews on YouTube before visiting dealerships, raising expectations for brands to deliver fast, seamless, and highly personalized communication. For more than two years, Infobip has supported Yamaha Indonesia in building connected customer engagement strategies that integrate WhatsApp across the company’s wider digital ecosystem, including its websites, social media platforms, and customer touchpoints. The collaboration reflects the
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