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Focal Systems Announces Kevin H. Johnson as new CEOSAN FRANCISCO, April 02, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Focal Systems, the leader in AI applications for retail operations, today announced the appointment of Kevin H. Johnson as CEO, effective April 2, 2024. Founding CEO, Francois Chaubard, will transition to the role of CTO to focus his attention on the science of deep learning in retail. “I am thrilled to join Francois and the team as they deploy the most advanced AI solutions to brick-and-mortar retailers,” said Johnson. “Focal Systems already drives significant ROI for its customers by reducing operating costs, improving product availability, and optimizing mix. I look forward to expanding Focal's services and reach globally.” “We are fortunate to add a leader with Kevin’s proven and extensive retail technology experience. I am confident he will help us drive even more customer value, expand the applications and benefits of digitizing the store, and improve our ability to scale with our partners,” said Chaubard. “We’ve built something special at Focal and are excited to welcome Kevin who understands our vision, mission, and shares our commitment to help retailers worldwide.” Greg Sands, Managing Partner of Costanoa Ventures, aded, “We support Francois’ decision to pass the baton to Kevin. We are elated with the progress Francois and Focal made in developing and deploying the most cutting edge AI solution on the market these past nine years. We expect Focal to expand even farther and faster now with Kevin at the helm.” Johnson is a veteran CEO who has spent over thirty years starting, growing and transforming business globally. He was previously CEO of Udemy, the leading global marketplace for learning and instruction. Prior to Udemy, Johnson grew Ebates (now Rakuten.com) from a pioneering cash back shopping startup into the dominant performance marketer for retailers in North America. He also held leadership roles at Acxiom/Digital Impact providing integrated digital marketing solutions via a proprietary technology platform for Global 2000 enterprises. Johnson started his professional career as an investment banker and entrepreneur, helping launch The GulfStar Group, an investment bank headquartered in Texas and then as a Management Consultant at The Boston Consulting Group. He holds an MBA from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business and BA from the University of California at Berkeley. About Focal Systems [email protected], 631.830.3305 |